Affliction
by Shinigamis Wrath
Summary: Someone wants Kyoko off the DARK MOON set. Just how far are they willing to go to succeed, and how much can she take? Rated for possible violence/sexual themes/and whatever else happens in the story. I also use American honorifics and spellings.CHAP.5 UP!
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hello everyone!! This is the beginning of my little foray into the "Plot Bunny That Wouldn't Go Away". Now some of you might be a little put off by the title, but I am using Affliction with the definition as stated on :**_

"Affliction suggests not only a serious misfortune but the emotional effect of it."

_**As for timeline, this happens shortly after Vol. 12 in the Manga…right after she helps Ren find his "Katsuki" for the **_**Dark Moon**_** arc. After that, my story kind of wings off into it's own little universe, but faintly references to other events in the manga farther on. Well, y'all will see. I just wanted to give you a starting point in the world of Skip Beat!**_

_**HUGE KUDOS TO NIMBLNYMPH FOR HELPING ME OUT OF MY SLUMP!! glomps**_

_**And as always, I do NOT own Skip Beat, or any of the characters. I just need to write this story so it can get out of me noggin! Onward with the trial run of **_**Affliction:**

* * *

The announcer's voice continued to drone onward from the stage as a figure made its way toward the dressing room at the end of the hall. It pushed open the door and waddled across the floor to the oversized storage locker. The metal of the door screeched as it was pulled open, nearly drowning out the announcer's booming tone.

Gasping, Kyoko took a deep breath of fresh air and shook out her sweat-dampened hair. It got so hot inside the chicken costume that she always looked forward to the first breath of air against her face, scalp and lungs. She placed the head of Bo the Chicken on the upper shelf inside the locker and proceeded to remove the rest of the costume. Once she had her sweats put away and her street clothes on, she checked the time out of habit before realizing that she wasn't in a hurry tonight. She took the time to splash a little water on her face from the bottle that had been sitting in her bag all day. It was tepid at best, but it felt like heaven compared to the heat in that chicken suit. She ran an impatient hand through her hair to work some of the water into the strands to cool her scalp before grabbing her duffle bag and heading for the exit.

Once outside, she paused in the early evening light to stretch her arms above her head and sighed. There weren't a lot of people around at this time, seeing as the majority of them were home with their families eating supper and getting settled in for the night, so she enjoyed her brief moment of pseudo-solitude. Her life seemed to be filled with active, noisy people, and especially so with the variety show. That audience was always cheering, jeering, and just plain out yelling at whatever act or guest appearance they had…or at whatever antics "Bo" happened to come up with. The costume helped to a certain extent to muffle the racket, all thanks to the very padding that left her sweaty after wearing it. It didn't help with the truly stressful part of the job though, which were the fickle demands of the crowd. Ever since she joined on to play the part, she had become more appreciative of the efforts that actors went through on behalf of their art.

She stepped out from the shadow of the L.M.E studio building and walked to where her bike was kept. It was hard to believe that only a year ago she was a naïve little girl who had mocked those in the entertainment industry. And it had all been to foolishly try and support Shotaro… that good for nothing waste of space! It was a night and day difference from being Kyoko, Sho's number one fan, to Kyoko, L.M.E. Agency employee. Damn Shotaro….telling his bitch of a manager that she was only his housekeeper. And that she had been the only one stupid enough to go with him to Tokyo! Why hadn't she known then what she knew now! She ground her teeth together as she sped off down the streets in an effort to control her temper. She had to relax and not think of him, or his asinine antics, or his crappy treatment of her. Argh!! She forced herself to count to ten and just breathe.

Still, it galled her that because of that bastard and his abandonment of her, she had gotten to where she was today. If he hadn't, she would still be cooking, cleaning, and doing anything _he_ asked in order to make _him_ happy and to make sure _his_ universe stayed intact. But then he'd dumped her like last week's trash with one little challenge that he was sure she'd never rise to.

Well, he had been wrong, like he had been about so many other things, Kyoko thought as she pedaled through the streets of Tokyo. She had not only risen to the challenge, but she would like to think that she was making something of herself. She was surviving somehow and slowly advancing on her quarry by working at the L.M.E. Agency. As a member of its exclusive (and slightly eccentric) Love Me Group, she had the role of Bo on the variety show. She also had the part of Mio in Director Ogata's new production, Dark Moon. But the biggest highlight of her new life was being able to go to high school. In addition to school and acting, she also worked part time at Darumaya. Her days were packed full from the time she got up in the morning to the time she finally collapsed at night, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

Which was why today was such a rare day; she'd finished with the Variety show; had the night off from work at the inn; she didn't have to be on the set of Dark Moon until tomorrow morning, _and_ she was on a holiday from school. The night was entirely hers to do whatever she wanted. She raced through the streets of Tokyo, eager to get back to the inn and start enjoying her night off! She already knew how she was going to spend it and that was by pampering herself. Something she hadn't done in a long time (if ever). She could hardly wait to slip on some soft cotton pajamas after a long soak in the bath. She would break out her secret guilty stash of bath oils, facial masks, scented lotions and the pedicure/manicure set that she had bought after her transformation P.S. (Post-Shotaro). She would relax in her room with a movie about a princess that gets to live happily ever after (something she still indulged in as well) and a warm cup of tea.

After all, it was something she deserved after those years of catering to him. As her eyes narrowed and her feet began pedaling even faster, small black smoke-like entities curled from about her darkened aura. Her grudges were still alive and well, feasting on her hatred of the man called Shotaro Fuwa. They cackled maniacally as they bobbed and weaved around her. The humorless grin on her face was more just a baring of teeth as she growled aloud her rage. "Damn that man to the blackest pit of hell!" She shouted into the air.

"Hey! Up yours too, lady!" A young man on a bike shook his fist at her as she careened past, lost in her thoughts.

She should never _ever_ forget the reason she was in the game. She was usually too busy to think about it, didn't have a lot of the time during the day to nurture her hatred and feed her grudges. She needed to succeed, to rise in the ranks, and take Sho Fuwa _down!! _

And there was no better way to do that than by joining his rival agency and teaming up (indirectly) with his ultimate competition, Ren Tsugura. Working with him on a daily basis had showed her that he wasn't just another pretty face, but rather a very mature man that hid his emotions. Granted, at the beginning her feelings toward Mr. Tsugura were hostile… but they'd gotten a little better. There had been several occasions in the past where it had been hard to tell if he or Shotaro ranked higher on her hatred scale. Mr. Tsugura was always so condescending, rude, and arrogant. In her opinion, dog barf had more redeeming qualities than either of those two.

Gradually though, and through the surreptitious use of the Bo costume, she got to see a side of Mr. Tsugura that she'd never even known had existed. Also, she kept getting thrown together with the dark haired actor (against her will) time and time again by the Fates that always conspired against her. At first she resented it, but over the past few months she's found herself even enjoying her days at the Agency, despite the crazy and flamboyant President Takarada. She even looked forward to working with Mr. Tsugura on the Dark Moon set.

And who could forget the night he found his 'real Katsuki'? Kyoko blushed, remembering how he had schooled her with his acting ability, and cursed her overactive imagination. Imagine, Mr. Tsugura wanting to kis-"  
"Are you going to sit there all night and catch flies with that open mouth?" A harsh voice asked.

Surprised, Kyoko jumped and stuttered, "T-taisho! I'm sorry!" She looked around and sure enough, she had biked to Darumaya lost in her thoughts and now sat outside the inn where Taisho had caught her staring off into space, still perched on her bike. Blushing even worse, she scrambled off, locked it up and reached for her bag.

Taisho didn't say another word, only wandered back into the establishment. Chagrined, Kyoko sulked through the door, kicking her shoes off at the entry and slid into slippers. She wandered upstairs to her room, all excitement for her evening ruined as her thoughts turned back to Taisho.

The older man hadn't treated her quite the same since she had cut and dyed her hair to go join L.M.E, and she regretted that change in their relationship. She looked up to Taisho; he was like a father to her, something she was lacking because she could never return to Kyoto or to her parents. She couldn't stand having him disappointed in her. She'd gotten enough of that from her mother.

She was determined to set things right between them. She'd make a huge success out of herself to make sure Taisho and his wife would be proud of her. Punching a fist in the air, she let out a fierce, "Yeah!" She _would_ do it! Who knew, maybe in time she could show her parents all that she had accomplished and they might…

"_Forgive you?"_ A voice echoed in her head before chucking evilly. "_This isn't one of your fairy tales, Kyoko. Not everyone can live happily ever after."_

Stubbornly she shoved the little demon's voice aside, "Shut up! I _will_ become famous-and I'll defeat Sho-and I'll prove to Mr. Tsugura that…" she left off abruptly.

"_Prove to him that…what?" _The voice taunted.

Kyoko had no answer for that. She wasn't sure where she had been going with that statement. She shook her head and grabbed a pair of her softest pajamas before stalking into the bathroom to bathe.

Over an hour later, Kyoko walked into her room, absently toweling her wet hair with the pink terry towel around her neck. Her pajamas were navy blue cotton pants with a lighter blue t-shirt. Her skin was rosy from the steam and smelled like the black raspberry vanilla body cream she'd slathered on. The hot water had helped ease not only her tired muscles but her mind as well. Despite her earlier debate, she'd come to a decision. She wasn't sure of a lot of things in her life, but she'd just take one day at the time. And, she reminded herself, this night was her only night off and it shouldn't be spent worrying about stuff that can be put off 'til tomorrow.

Smiling to herself, she switched on the small TV on her dresser before crossing to her desk to examine the papers stacked neatly on its surface; looked like the Taisho's wife had delivered her mail. She picked up the small stack and flipped through it; bill, bill, junk. She sighed as she found more junk mail until one plain envelope stopped her. She dropped the rest of the stack on the desk while keeping the weird one in her hand. Her brows furrowed in thought as she studied the piece of mail. It was just a regular white envelope with only her first name typed on the front in big black blocky letters: KYOKO. There was no return address or even her address, so it couldn't have been sent through the postal service.

"What in the world?" she murmured to herself. Automatically, Kyoko looked around her room, checking for an intruder. She shook her head and laughed at herself. Maybe she had a secret admirer! She grinned as she imagined a tall dark and handsome man all in knots trying to think of ways to ask her out and coming up with this idea of a letter. She would play hard to get of course, wanting to make the boy work for her time and her kiss. Then she would accept and he would pick her up in a red sports car and he'd take her out to eat at the most expensive restaurant—

--and she needed to quit daydreaming! Smiling, she ripped into the envelope to find a single folded sheet. As she read it, her smile faded, her eyes widened and the blood slowly drained from her face. It wasn't a love letter; it was something worse. It was also typed with big blocky letters and read: QUIT DARK MOON OR ELSE.

She was silent; the background noise of the TV seemed unnaturally loud and the open window was making her wary. She'd never felt this chill of fear before, the taste metallic and brackish in her mouth. Quickly, she spun to the window and closed it, pulling the drapes over the glass for good measure before going to make sure she had closed her door. Realizing she still held the letter in her hand, she abruptly dropped it and watched it as it floated serenely to the floor.

"Tonight's feature as we sign off for the evening is the brand new video from Sho Fuwa!" She heard the announcer of the show belt out followed by the screaming of the audience. Soon the strains of his new hit single started and she turned to look at the TV. Sho's face in his devil costume grinned evilly at her. Numbly she watched herself, dressed the part of an angel, choke the 'devil' and look in remorse as he fell from the tower.  
For once the sight of Sho didn't infuriate her. She was thinking too hard about her special 'delivery'. What or who had sent her this note? What did it even mean? Who wanted her off the Dark Moon set? She sat down on her bed and stared at nothing. Who would do this? These questions just kept spinning in her head until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Grrraahh!!" she yelled and scooped up the letter, staring at it as if the answers would just appear on its bare surface. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but I'm not quitting Dark Moon, you hear me?" She stopped when she realized she was shouting at an empty room. Wow. She _so_ needed to get some sleep. Kyoko folded the letter, opened the drawer on her desk and shoved it to the back. She closed the drawer once again and turned off the light before collapsing on the bed to burrow under the covers until her head was covered. If anyone asked, well… she was just cold.


	2. Chapter 2

**Greetings everyone!!! Thank you SOO much for hanging in there while I've been trying to get this out. I am currently typing this on a borrowed laptop because my Mpu is still in the shop!!! So...many Kudos to my friend Tom for working on her and hopefully I'll see her soon. Until then, get well soon, Mpu!!!! Muah!!!**

**Now, moving on, this story has evolved on paper....I've been writing and writing and I think I kind of like where this is going. I hope y'all will too. There are some things I have to mention though. With the Taisho's wife, Kyoko calls her Okami-san. I will keep that name because I don't know exactly how it would mesh out into English. Mrs. ****Okami****? Probably, but I'm pushing the Easy Button on this one and just keeping it as Okami-San...and same for Kanae...Kyoko calls her "Moko-san"...I will keep that as such as well. The rest of it all is going to be equated out into American Speak....lol....write what you know. I guess.**

**So without further ado, and without gilding the lily anymore, I give you the second chapter of Affliction!**

**POSTED BY: nimblnymph. No editing was done on my part. Just doing a dear friend a favor.**

* * *

A few days later, Kyoko was running into the studio cursing at herself under her breath. She was soooo late!!! She'd stayed up half the night studying for her English test and in her sleep had turned off her alarm. Now she was stuck with running down the hallways and ignoring the curious stares of the employees she passed in her trek through L.M.E's building.

The filming for Dark Moon was already underway when she busted through the door of the sound stage. She caught her breath as she slowed to a walk at the edge of the stage, watching the drama unfold between Mr. Tsugura and Miss Mimose in their scene. It seemed that Katsuki and Mizuki were having an argument. Kyoko stopped paying attention on what was being said on the set, and started thinking about the odd note she had gotten at Darumaya.

Shaking her head, she smiled. She must have been tired the other night to let a stupid prank like that upset her. Nothing has happened yet, and why would it? There was no one after her. _She_ was after someone, and that someone was Shotaro Fuwa! Her eyes took on a predatory glint as she envisioned Shotaro crying and begging at her feet after she was named the #1 talent in Japan. Her lips curled in a feral grin as he wept openly on her shoes, as he kissed her feet while telling her what an awesome actor she wa--

"Miss Mogami. It's good to see you this morning."

Eyes wide, she jumped to see someone in front of her, "Director Ogata! Good morning! Ah....good morning everyone" She scrubbed the back of her neck and fought a blush as she realized that the filming had stopped and all eyes were on her. Mr. Tsugura's expression was unreadable as he stood on the set with Miss Mimose.

"You and Ren will be filming the next scene, Kyoko. Why don't you hurry up and get ready? Until then, take five everyone!" The young director dismissed the crew and walked over to where the producer sat to discuss the next scene.

The crowd dispersed slowly, murmuring to themselves. Kyoko paid them no heed as she dove into the first dressing room she came to and flipped on the light. Dropping her duffel on a chair, she slipped out of her shoes while stripping off her shirt. Left in shorts and a bra, she carefully unwrapped the dress she'd be wearing as Mio, pausing in front of the mirror where her reflection stared back at her.

Kyoko couldn't help but evaluate her form. Barely shoulder length hair that lay in unruly layers normally was now flat ironed straight for the part as Mio. She had long willowy limbs and a stick like figure...she stared down with a frown at her pretty much non-existent chest. Stubbornly she shook her head and looked up into wide hazel eyes and a mouth that turned up into a saucy smile.

At least she could still smile, not like Mr. Tsugura. _He_ wouldn't know how to smile if his life depended on it! The man knew how to act though, that was for sure. Kyoko sobered at the thought. She stared off into nothing as she thought of Mr. Tsugura playing Katsuki. He fit the part, physically speaking; dark slacks had encased impossibly long legs while a crisp white button down shirt broke up the darkness with a vivid red tie to add a splash of color. His character stood almost a head and a half taller than Ms. Mimose. Talk about a tall, dark and foreboding presence to which Miss Momose's paler complexion suited perfectly.

Kyoko sighed as she slipped out of her shorts in front of the vanity, still lost in thought. She carelessly threw them on her bag. Miss Momose and Mr. Tsugura balanced each other. His height to her shortness. His dark to her light. Yin and Yang. "No wonder Mio is so jealous of them." She muttered to herself as she reached for the dress hanging on the rack.

"Miss Mogami?!" she heard a distinct male voice exclaim.

She whirled around, dress in hand. "What do you think you're doing in my dressing room, Mr. Tsugura?!"

"I think you're mistaken. You're in _my_ dressing room," he said bluntly. All the while he kept his eyes on the wall, he wondered idly when she was going to remember that she was very nearly naked.

"No it's not! I took this one!" Kyoko shouted back indignantly. Honestly, was he going to order her around _all_ the time?

"Look around, Miss Mogami; what do you see?" he replied evenly.

"You're avoiding eye contact with me for a start, and I see a clothes rack, table with a duffel bag, my duffel is on the chair, men's clothes...make-up on the vanity and..." her eyes bugged out because she saw herself in the mirror wearing nothing but a bra and panties. "OH MY GOD!!!" She clutched the dress to her chest and glared at him "I see a pervert!"

A flush crept up his cheeks as he hastily turned around. Luckily, Kyoko didn't see it. "I am not," he replied stiffly, feigning calmness. "I kept my eyes averted."

Kyoko wasn't pacified. "Then why aren't you leaving!?" she said in embarrassment.

"Right." He crossed to the door quickly, calling over his shoulder, "Just get your own room, okay?"

Kyoko barely relaxed once he was gone. Did Mr. Tsugura really just see her (almost) naked? Oh, God. She stuffed her street clothes in her duffel, scrambled into the Mio dress and bolted to the farthest dressing room from Mr. Tsugura's. She did _not_ want a repeat performance!

After applying make-up and straightening her hair, she went back out to the stage where it looked like Mr. Katsuki's homeroom.

* * *

The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent filming, and Kyoko had some difficulty trying to stay focused. Each time she faced Mr. Tsugura in a confrontation as Mio, she remembered the sight of herself in her skivvies in the mirror of the vanity and she'd lose her place in the dialogue. Scene after scene, take after take they kept having to re-do everything. She kept trying to concentrate but- '_why didn't he leave the room right away? And why didn't she freak out more about it? She should've-'_

"CUT!!!! Kyoko, are you _trying_ to see how many takes you can do?!" Director Ogata belted out in frustration.

She blinked and looked at the director, "Huh?" Then she realized that she had messed the scene up… again. "Aww, crap! I'm sorry, Director! It won't happen again!" She bowed in contritely.

"Here you go, Mr. Tsugura." Kyoko glanced over to see an assistant hand the actor a bottle of water.

"Ah, thank you, Hitomi. I didn't know today was going to be so challenging. Isn't that right, Miss Mogami?"

Giving up on shooting venomous glares at the assistant, Kyoko looked to Mr. Tsugura and felt the blood turn to ice in her veins. Oh shit! There, on his face…it was the _gentlemanly smile_. Mr. Tsugura was PISSED! "Oh…umm…yeah…" Kyoko stammered dumbly. "It's been interesting."

This caused Mr. Tsugura to look pensive, almost like he was remembering something. "Hmm…yes…it certainly has _revealed_ a lot of surprises. And it's _barely_ after lunchtime." He kept an eye on Kyoko as he delivered the barb.

Kyoko felt her eye twitch. He was baiting her?! She turned on her heel and stalked down the hallway. She ignored the amused chuckle that she heard behind her. That man was insufferable!!! Kyoko ground her teeth in frustration and embarrassment. She was _not_ running from him, merely going to her room to change for the next scene. That's what she'd tell anyone who asked.

She yanked the door to her room open and dove into the safe confines. She began to pace back and forth in front of the vanity a few times, muttering angrily to herself. She'd show Mr. Tsugura that she couldn't be distracted by the 'Dressing Room Debacle', as she had begun calling it. She just needed a break to collect herself and her thoughts, that's all.

She placed her bottle of water on the vanity. Oh yeah, and she didn't need an _assistant_ to get her water, thank-you-very-much! Kyoko turned to where her bag lay by the clothes rack and felt herself go numb.

There, propped on the canvas was a plain white envelope with her name printed in the same black text. "What the heck?" She crossed the room and grabbed the envelope, roughly ripping it open.

"IGNORE THIS NOTE TOO, AND YOUR SUFFERING WILL INCREASE."

"Who the hell writes this stuff?" She laughed weakly to herself, but it lacked conviction. This time there was no real sloughing it off. Someone really was after her. No one she knew would carry a practical joke this far. The biggest question was why? They also knew she lived at Darumaya, and not too many people had that info. And with this note, it proved that they had access to the studio as well. Boy, they had her life pegged out. Between the inn and L.M.E, there weren't too many other places she went.

Still though, she didn't have time to think about this right now. She stuffed the note in her bag and gulped some water down her dry throat. She willed her shoulders to relax and forced herself to calm down. So she had a crazy stalker after her--so what? If she didn't get the rest of her lines right this afternoon the stalker would have to get in line. Because Director Ogata and Mr. Tsugura would be the first to kill her!!

* * *

The crew started assembling once the break was over. Ren waited by the set for Kyoko to show up. Certainly she'd gotten over his teasing by now? If her flight to her dressing room was any indication, he'd scored a direct hit. Not that he had any intention of telling anyone what had happened in his dressing room. It had shocked him just as much as Kyoko to see her like that.

True, she'd been covered by the same amount of cloth as a bathing suit, but the innocence of the matching lacy white bra and panties had caused his mouth to go dry. And that had really unnerved him. This was _Kyoko_ he was thinking about! A high school student--and a former pain in his ass. He still didn't approve of her reasons for joining the agency-but he did admire her grit. He may have stopped disliking her, but that didn't mean he wouldn't needle her from time to time. It would keep her on her toes. As an actor, one had to be prepared for anything. Or so he kept telling himself.

He looked up to see Kyoko exit the make-up booth. She was dressed in a simple black number that Mio frequently appeared in. Even with the stage make-up and from this distance Ren could see something was amiss. It was right there on her very animated face. Poor Kyoko, she still hadn't learned to school her features yet. Still, her obvious unease troubled him. Was it from his teasing? For all her spontaneity he had to keep reminding himself that she was still a young girl… alright, woman. They were touchy about things like nakedness and the opposite sex. He would do better to hold his tongue in the future.

"Ready to go?" Kyoko forced a bright smile as she breezed by him to enter the set, this time designed to look like Mio and Mizuki's home.

"Miss Mog-" Ren started to say but he was cut off by the crew.

"Places people! Ren! Okay….Dark Moon- Scene 268- Take one!" Director Ogata called out.

"Sir," Ren answered and took his place on the set. He would find out if he'd gone too far with his teasing after work.

* * *

Kyoko struggled through the rest of the afternoon. She'd had to go back over several takes for each scene and that had made her even more flustered. Each take ramped her up more, which in turn caused her to screw up more. She just couldn't get that note out of her head. Who would be after her? She was a nobody, barely had her foot in the door at L.M.E Agency. Didn't the stalkers come when she'd reached Mr. Tsugura's level?

"That's a wrap! Let's call it a day everyone!" Ogata called out. "Kyoko, can I see you for a moment?"

"Yes!" She replied quickly. She spared a glance at the cast walking towards the dressing rooms, but she couldn't see her door from where she was. "Kyoko?" Director Ogata called impatiently.

"Oh, right." She swung her attention to where he stood before her.

"What happened today?" he asked plainly. "I've never seen you this distracted. Is something the matter? Are you sick?" Concern shone in his eyes as he asked.

"Ah. No. Nothing's the matter, Director. Just had an off day, that's all." She forced a hearty laugh.

"I'm not sure I believe you," he responded solemnly, "but please try to focus more tomorrow. If I have to pull you off for a few days, I will." His voice was stern.

"NO!" Kyoko shouted, winced quickly and then continued in a softer tone, "I mean, no thank you, sir. I'll be fine." She smiled and backed away from him, only to back into a hard chest-wall. She turned, eyes wide and pulse racing, only to see Mr. Tsugura had reached up to steady her by holding her shoulders.

"Miss Mogami," he said calmly.

"Mr. Tsugura." She broke away from him to go to her dressing room, leaving behind two men who were very confused at her erratic behavior.

"She's sure acting odd," Director Ogata murmured softly.

"Yeah," Ren agreed.

"Do you know what it is?" Ogata asked, looking up to the taller, dark haired man.

Ren fought the blush that threatened to grace his cheeks. "Um… I might have an idea, but I'm not totally sure."

"Is she in trouble?" The director pressed, eyes narrowing.

Ren smiled. "It's Kyoko, when is she _not_ causing trouble?"

Ogata smiled as well. "True. But…"

"Don't worry, I'm going to find out." Ren's voice was firm.

"Good." Ogata clapped Ren on the back. "Keep an eye on her." He walked off while waving over his shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! To everyone still following this story, thank you so much for being patient! I want this to be a good story, so I am taking more time with each of the chapters! Thanks to Nimblnymph for beta'ing for me and I hope everyone enjoys this next installment! Thanks again!**

**Shinigami's Wrath

* * *

**

He sat in his car until he saw Kyoko emerge from the L.M.E Building, climb onto her bike and take off down the street. She was always in a hurry and Ren wondered where she took off to every night. She was an intelligent girl; surely, there was no need to study _that_ much? Shaking his head at the direction of his thoughts, he started the powerful engine of his sport coupe and pointed it in the direction of home.

She was a teenager--and his co-worker--and she didn't remember who he truly was. Of course, she'd have no reason to match up Ren Tsugura with her 'Corn'. However, that didn't mean that _he _didn't remember the bubbly girl she'd been.

He still saw glimpses of that euphoric child that had chased rainbows and dreamt of princes on white steeds. But those glimpses very rarely managed to break through the aggressive, bitter shell that life had thrust upon her. No… that _Fuwa_ had forced upon her.

Ren ground his teeth and clenched the steering wheel with white-knuckled ferocity. Fuwa. Where did he stand in Kyoko's estimation? He hoped she wasn't trying to become famous simply to reunite with the jerk. On the other hand, it would be equally disastrous if she was so saturated with hatred that she'd take Fuwa down at all costs, even if it meant her future as well.

Why was he, Ren Tsugura, so concerned with these questions? Why did she haunt his thoughts every day? Was Bo the Chicken right, was this the beginning of love? He hoped not. He wasn't able to give into these feelings, this _interest_. Nothing could come of it. He was four years her senior, and sometimes those four years felt like four decades.

Oh, Kyoko had come a long way since she'd first started. She was plucky and intelligent, but he was more impressed by her tenacity, ingenuity and the sheer latent talent that shone through at the oddest times. Most of all, through her adventures, he could see a burgeoning sense of accomplishment and pride shine in her eyes. Whenever he saw that, he had to fight the urge to smile.

The beeping of his onboard computer interrupted his reverie. He looked down, and sure enough, it had triggered the garage door for his parking area and he had driven right by it. Cursing at his one-track mind (of late), he turned the car around and entered the garage.

* * *

"Miss! More Sake!" A drunken voice called out.

"Yes sir." Kyoko hid her irritation behind a calm smile and approached the table, kneeling gracefully. Daintily picking up the bottle with both hands, she poured for each of the men at the table and backed away.

Stifling a yawn behind her hand, she counted the minutes before it was time to close. She still had a history test to study for after her shift and she hadn't been sleeping well lately. It had been close to three weeks since the first note arrived and just a few days ago, she'd received a third.

She had gone to her locker as soon as the final bell had rung at school. With her mind filled with what work she had to bring home, she opened the door and looked to the top shelf where her books were kept. There, perched on top of her English book, feigning innocence, was a white envelope with her name printed in now-familiar block letters.

Even thinking of it now made cold sweat pop out on her forehead and slide down her spine. She shivered and her trembling fingers barely maintained their grasp on the empty sake bottle. Now they-whoever _they_ were-knew where she went to school? It shouldn't surprise her, they seemed to know everywhere else she went.

She remembered how she'd struggled with maintaining her composure as she opened the letter. Inside was another blank sheet with the stark sentence of "YOU'VE BEEN WARNED" printed on it. After reading the single statement she had whipped her head around, watching the surrounding people with suspicious eyes. Could one of them have been her stalker, waiting for her reaction to their 'present'? Everyone had looked normal enough, so she dumped the books in her locker and had beat a hasty retreat to Darumaya.

Sighing to herself, Kyoko returned the empty sake bottle to the bar area in Darumaya. Somewhere along the past couple weeks, she had lost her anger. It had been replaced by another emotion. Fear. She conceded defeat to the stalker on that point. He had won by stealing her security and replacing it by paranoia. She had, however, held on to her determination. She wouldn't quit _Dark Moon_. She would keep on with her normal life and to hell with the consequences. She needed the experience and income that she got from working on that show. Not only to beat Shotaro, but because--

_--"_Miss?! Can I have some tea, please?" A blunt female voice shocked Kyoko out of the memory.

"Huh?" She quickly recovered and smiled politely at the table next to the sake-drinking executives. "Of course, Ma'am. Please excuse me." She padded over silently on tabi-covered feet carrying a pot of tea to where the woman and her party sat.

She was dumbfounded at who could be after her. They knew where she lived, worked, and went to school. Of course, one day of observing her could provide _anyone_ with that information.

Her life, as busy as it was, was a blessing in disguise. During the day, all of her activities kept her from thinking too much about the threats. Not so during the night, however. That was the time when everything came back to haunt her. Not just the notes, but also all of her insecurities, worries and problems. Those letters were at the forefront of her mind though. As she alternated between trying to figure out who was behind them, and feeling frightened in the dark hours, she would toss and turn fitfully and the idea of sleep went right out the window. Akiko in the make-up booth at the studio had been struggling lately trying to make sure the dark smudges under Kyoko's eyes were hidden each day she had to play Mio.

She poured herself into work and school in the efforts of exhausting herself so much so that she could sleep. She worked longer hours at the inn, took on any kind of job around the agency that she could find (even fetching President Takarada coffee from a café thirty blocks away from the office). Anything to wear her out that much more so she could collapse on her bed at the end of the day and pray for a dreamless sleep that never came.

Because she made herself so busy, she had no time to eat, though she didn't have much of an appetite anyway. She began to notice last week that her clothes were starting to hang off her. Rei in the costume department was getting frustrated because she had to keep taking in the clothes she wore as Mio. But Kyoko couldn't help it. She didn't have time to eat during the day and at night she was too busy trying to get sleep. Instead of sleep, however, she ended up struggling with the 'what-ifs' and 'could-bes'.

Kyoko refocused on her job and served the woman her tea, soon immersing herself into work with a fervor that had become familiar over the past couple weeks. After a few hours, the last patron was shown out the door and Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she could escape to her room.

"Kyoko, wait!" It was the Taisho's wife.

"Yes, Okami-san?" She paused on the stairs. The older woman came walking around the corner holding a tray of rice balls and a pot of tea.

"Here's some study food. Good luck on your exam tomorrow." She smiled warmly.

"Thanks." Kyoko took the tray and carried it up to her room. Instead of her History text, three notes were spread out on her desk. They were all printed on the same paper, in the same ink and with the same font. If she were playing a detective, how would she think? She stroked her chin as she thought. Suddenly her eyes brightened. Ahh! Fingerprints!

But…she'd handled them a lot. Hers were probably covering any of the suspects' prints by now. That and she didn't have a fingerprinting kit. She furrowed her brows in thought. The words were printed using a computer so she couldn't compare handwriting. Maybe there was DNA on the envelopes from the perpetrator sealing it? Whom did she know at a lab? No one. Kyoko gave a defeated sigh. Crapcakes. She couldn't do anything to track the stalker herself. She just didn't have the resources.

Absently, she bit into a rice ball and chewed thoughtfully as she stared at the notes. Maybe President Takarada might have an answer? She rejected that idea as soon as she thought of it. He might take her off _Dark Moon_ and even the Variety show. She'd lose income and valuable experience that she needed. Shaking her head in denial, Kyoko made the decision to keep this situation to herself. After all, it had been almost a week since her last note arrived, maybe whoever they were got sick of the game and decided to move on?

Not completely satisfied with the idea that it was over, but determined to solve the mystery on her own, Kyoko cracked open her textbook, "Meiji Era Japan…" she read aloud around a half chewed rice ball. Quickly she was immersed in the text and forgot for a blissful moment the danger lurking in the shadows.

* * *

The next day, a lone figure walked through the doors of the building and entered the wide-open area of the L.M.E. lobby. Kanae Kotonami preferred to get to work early, before everyone showed up. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked. Absently, she tucked her long black hair behind her ear and readjusted her hold on her bag. She exuded confidence and poise in her black pants suit and white silk shirt.

"MOKO-SAN!" an enthusiastic voice shook the walls and caused the woman to freeze in place, hunching her shoulders and grimacing in embarrassment.

"Keep it down, Kyoko, you're causing a scene!" Kanae hissed in annoyance as she glanced from side to side to make sure they weren't doing just that.

Kyoko was glad to see her, as they had both been busy with separate projects for some time. She had always felt a bond for the other member of the Love Me Section of L.M.E. Kyoko bounded up to Kanae to glomp the longhaired girl while ignoring that said girl fought to get out of the embrace.

Kanae paused in her efforts to extricate herself from Kyoko's spastic grip. "Kyoko, have you lost weight? You're thin as a rail!" she exclaimed in sudden concern.

"Oh that? Yeah, gotta keep in form, ya know!" Kyoko laughed loudly and struck a pose.

"Of what--a toothpick? That's hardly healthy." Kanae admonished, setting the other girl at arm's length.

"Shut up, I'm not that skinny, Moko-san!" Kyoko chuckled, pulling herself out of Kanae's reach. "Anyway, what projects are you working on now?"

Kanae ignored Kyoko's pathetic attempt to change the subject. "Uh-huh. So that's why your clothes are hanging on you and you look like a linebacker with those smudges under your eyes." She folded her arms and stared at Kyoko.

Kyoko fidgeted slightly. "You didn't answer my question. What are you working on?" She evaded Kanae's topic choice. Besides not wanting to talk about her troubles, she really did want to know what her friend was doing lately.

Kanae waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, they have me as busy as you, I would guess. I have a big project I'm working on now and I really like it." She tucked her hair behind her ear again and smoothed out the wrinkles in her suit from Kyoko's earlier embrace. "You still don't look well, Kyoko. What's wrong?" She asked in genuine concern.

"Oh, I'm fine, healthy as a horse! I hate to cut this short, Moko-san, but I have to get going to the set. _Dark Moon_ is a never ending project!" Kyoko glossed over Kanae's empathy and bounded energetically away, leaving a bewildered Kanae staring blankly after her.

She waited until she got around the corner of the lobby and out of Kanae's sight before slumping against the wall tiredly. This was bad, people were starting to notice. But Kyoko couldn't let the higher ups know. They would take her out of work and then she'd never get anywhere near Shotaro. Not to mention she had grown to love what she did, especially working on the Dark Moon set. She would be sad when the show was finally finished, but hopefully the future held more projects. Well, there wouldn't be if word got out that she had a psycho on her tail.

Kyoko pushed herself off the wall and walked through the building and down the alley behind the offices to the soundstage where the show was being filmed. As she entered the cavernous building, the familiar sights of all the equipment greeted her. She heard the comforting sounds of cameras, lights and props being moved around. Here was a place where she could lose herself and forget her troubles. Here, Kyoko Mogami ceased to exist the moment she entered the dressing room and Mio took her place. The place was bustling with activity, people, and action. She smiled to herself as she delved deeper into the world of Dark Moon.

When she had first devised her plan for revenge by joining show business, she had never thought that she would enjoy it. She had viewed it as a cross to bear or a necessary evil for her to go through to get to Shotaro. But now, months into her new life, she found out that it was something she truly loved to do. It wasn't a hardship for her to come to work. Even more so now with the arrival of those accursed letters. There was no way she could quit, she'd finally found something that she enjoyed doing _for herself_. And that was something too precious to her to lose.

The morning passed quickly for her and before she knew it, it was afternoon and just about lunchtime. Miss Mimose, Mr. Tsugura, she and a few of the extras were milling around chatting. Here was where she had a problem with her day. She found it difficult trying to portray a carefree Kyoko. She was always be thinking about the unknown threat hanging over her, especially here at the _Dark Moon_ set. Even though the work calmed her and gave her a purpose to her day, her mind was still busy asking questions that she couldn't answer. Determined to keep the trouble to herself, she made sure to put more enthusiasm into her laugh, and to elaborate unnecessarily to questions, true to Kyoko form.

She didn't offer much to the conversation that went on around her, however. She still didn't feel totally comfortable with Mr. Tsugura yet, even though the Dressing Room Debacle had happened weeks ago. To keep the suspicion at bay, she responded with clever one-liners, and kept steering the conversation away from herself as unobtrusively as possible.

* * *

Ren wasn't buying her act. Kyoko was usually cheerful, but there was a forced edge to her laugh that he alone seemed to notice. This in turn made him quiet, speaking only to respond when someone asked him a question. It was difficult to focus on trivial conversation when his mind was occupied completely with Kyoko. Not once did his serious gray eyes stray from her as he wondered just what was going on. She had dropped weight and no amount of make up could hide the dark bruises under her eyes. She wasn't failing classes (he'd had Yashiro look into that), she wasn't using drugs (he'd had Lory look into that), and she didn't have excessive hours here at the studio (he'd spoken to Director Ogata). He had watched, helpless, as she struggled through the days, putting on a brave face for everyone else while something was obviously wrong with her. None of it made sense, why wasn't she getting help for herself?

Why did he care so much?

"Miss Kyoko Mogami?" A polite female voice called out.

He turned with Kyoko and looked at the young woman that was holding a long white box. She had blonde hair cut into a short bob underneath her jaw. White pants covered long legs and a hideous turquoise and white 'bowling' style shirt with the name _Rika _embroidered on the left breast. "Yes?" Kyoko asked softly.

"I have a delivery for you, ma'am." The woman handed Kyoko the box. "If you could just sign here…"

Ren watched Kyoko juggle the box and the miniature clipboard to sign the slip before handing the board back to the woman. The delivery girl bowed once before turning and walking away. Ren was puzzled by the appearance of the delivery girl. Something seemed familiar about her. He brushed the niggling thought off and looked on as Kyoko opened the box. Intrigue quickly was replaced by alarm as the blood suddenly drained out of her face and she swayed on her feet.

"Miss Mogami!" He rushed forward to steady her as the box fell out of nerveless fingers. He let it fall to the ground to focus on Kyoko, who was white as a sheet. He struggled against the urge to gather her into his arms. What had upset her so? Once he felt sure that she wouldn't fall, he dropped his hands and stared down at the ground where the white box had opened and spilled a dozen dead roses on the ground. "What's the meaning of this?" he demanded.

His concerned shout had drawn the attention of the rest of the crew and they started to gather around them. Ren wanted to drive them all back to give her some air, but he did nothing except stand silently at her side as people around them voiced their questions. His mind was whirling with questions as well, but he knew Kyoko well enough to not ask her. Instead, he held on to Kyoko's copy of the receipt from the florist that he had picked up when she had dropped the box. He would find out who sent those things to her. If it happened to be Sho Fuwa, well…then he'd take care of it.

Stammering uselessly, Kyoko knelt and gathered the brittle stems to shove them back into the horrid white box. "Oh, it's nothing, guys!" she laughed forcefully. "Looks like a fan waited too long to send the flowers!" She heard a few chuckles at that and steeled herself further. "Anyhow, our break's almost over, so let's get back to it and kick butt!"

Surprisingly, her step was steady as she stood and walked over to the garbage can to toss the box in. Thank _god_ no one had seen her palm the florist card into her pocket.

On the back of the white card was one line: In_ Memory of Kyoko Mogami._

_

* * *

  
_

Kyoko fought her way through the rest of the day. She only breathed easier when _Dark Moon_ was done with shooting and it was time for her to play Bo on the Variety Show. There she didn't have to constantly school her features and measure her responses because she was hidden in the chicken costume that couldn't speak on air. Even if the anonymity of the suit relieved her, she noticed it was harder for her to move around in it. It was probably due to her stress-induced fatigue if she had to guess. She hadn't meant to let herself get so out of shape, it was just that she had other things to worry about.

She waddled down the hallway after the show, staring longingly at the locker room where her clothes waited. She couldn't wait to get out of this makeshift sauna and back to the inn to work her evening shift.

"What's wrong, Bo? You look worn out." A male voice said.

Kyoko froze with her eyes wide inside the costume. It was Mr. Tsugura?! She flapped around, flustered and turned to face him. "Uh, nothing." She managed to squeak out. "How are you?" Why did he have to find her _now_?! She was due to work at Darumaya in forty-five minutes and it took twenty just to get there.

"Me?" Ren looked surprised, and then looked down at the ground near Bo's feet. "Ah, I don't know. The same I guess." He sighed and leaned up against the wall where Bo stood. Slowly he slid down until he was on the floor; he bent his right leg and rested his arm on it. "To be truthful, I'm concerned about a person I know." He said slowly as if not sure of his words.

"Oh really?" Kyoko answered distractedly. Seriously, did Bo the Chicken have priest robes on? Why did Mr. Tsugura feel the need to confess to a chicken? Although this wasn't the first time Bo had helped Mr. Tsugura out. Still, she could hear the tick-tock of the clock in her head and yearned for the safety of the locker room that held her freedom.

"Something is wrong with her-something bad- and I don't know what it is." He stared at the ceiling as he talked, lost in thought.

Kyoko's mind was whirling and her jaw dropped. Shit, did he mean her? Crap on toast! What should she say!? "Umm…did you ask her?" Instantly she bit her tongue; that was a stupid thing to ask! She mentally smacked her forehead for good measure.

Mr. Tsugura looked from the ceiling to Bo, "No. I don't know how to address it. A person just doesn't randomly walk up and ask, 'Say, is everything all right and why is someone sending you dead flowers?'"

Crrrrraaaappppp…it _was_ about her. She would have to tread carefully. Ren still didn't know _who_ was in the Bo costume. "Well, if you're friends, you do," she replied simply, then realized what she had said. Oh! What was wrong with her mouth? It was saying the absolute wrong things at the wrong times!"

Mr. Tsugura looked perplexed for a minute before turning his face away from Bo to look down the hallway. "Friends? Oh, I wouldn't say we're friends. Co-workers on the same project perhaps." _Liar, _he thought to himself, fighting a blush.

Missing his expression, Kyoko felt a stab of pain. Not friends? Only co-workers? Wait…why did that hurt so much? She didn't need friends. She just needed the experience and popularity that L.M.E had to offer. "Well then, if she doesn't ask you for help, I guess you have no business butting into her problems. Who knows, maybe it was just a prank!" she responded hotly, without thinking. Quickly, she recovered enough to bow once. "If you'll excuse me, I'm late for my next gig."

She turned on her back claw and stalked to the locker room. Well, he had answered her unasked question that had been lurking in her mind for a while now; she was just a co-worker to him. "I didn't need your friendship anyway, Ren Tsugura!" she growled softly to herself. She reveled in the appearance of her grudges that were swirling around her with her dark thoughts as she changed clothes. The grudges hadn't appeared often in the last few weeks, and the sight of them reassured her that her anger was still there and the stalker hadn't won completely.

"Miss Mogami?" A soft voice called out, causing Kyoko to shriek and jump around to face the new intruder. Honestly, what was with people barging in on her when she was changing?

"What is it?" she shot back angrily.

"I'm terribly sorry for frightening you, my name is Yumi and I'm here to get the Bo costume for its weekly cleaning." The girl had the good sense to look contrite. She was a mousy looking individual with shoulder length brown hair and dark eyes. Yumi had on gray overalls with a pair of sneakers and wore a cap pulled low over her face.

Kyoko eyed the teen warily. "What happened to Kome?"

"Kome?" The girl blinked, "She's on vacation with her family this week. I think they went to Okinawa" Yumi walked forward to grasp the costume and duffel that the head went into.

Kyoko chided herself. People were allowed to go on vacation. There was no cause for her alarm. The girl seemed okay, she even felt a bit familiar for some odd reason. Shaking off her paranoia, she grinned at the girl, "All right, take care of it for me, will ya?"

"Of course." Yumi bowed and left.

Kyoko looked at the clock and cussed. "I'm so late!" She dashed for the door, switching off the light and leaving the room in darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

**HELLO EVERYONE!!! Sorry for the long wait in updating. I've been very busy these past few months. What with starting a new job, a big fuck off flood in my home town, my rockstar friend Nimblnymph coming out for over a week of fun filled chaos, Anime Detour, and a trip to the Black Hills, well, I am one tired Shinigami! **

**But y'all don't care about that. You want the next addition to the story! I've received many alerts and faves and I can't thank you guys enough! This story has become my baby and well, it may be a long time between updates, but I'm spending that time trying to make each chapter the best it can be! **

**Now, in my profile I mentioned a reviewer that told me I'd been spelling Mr. Tsuruga's name wrong, well NOT ANYMORE! I've memorized his name and I won't let my dyslexia fail me again!!! *shakes fist at brain* So, in this chapter, it's fixed, it's still wrong in the previous chappies, but I'll fix that eventually. I would think y'all would want me to keep writing forward, not fixing one minor typo in the already published and consumed chapters. Right?**

**So with that being said, lemme tell you, I have an action packed chapter for y'all! There is some sexual situations, so be warned if you are faint of heart. **

**As always, I will try and update a little more quickly next time, k?**

**Ciao, Shinigamis-Wrath**

**

* * *

  
**

"Kyoko made it back to Darumaya in record time and with very little incident. The only mishap occurred when the chain slipped off her bike, resulting in a chunk of skin being gouged out from her leg by the pedal spinning around uselessly. She pulled up to the front of Darumaya and left the wreckage that was her bike on the street. Despite the pain, she managed a quick limp up the stairs to get dressed for work

The Taisho's wife met her at the top of the stairs with a warm welcome. Inside Kyoko's room, Okami-san tied Kyoko's obi while Kyoko applied minimal make up to hide the ever-present smudges underneath her eyes. The older woman also arranged Kyoko's shorter locks into a twist that gave the illusion of length. "There, you are almost ready, even if it is a bit rushed; you look lovely as always, Kyoko." She smiled down at the younger girl. Kyoko was dressed in a brilliant red kimono with white blossoms scattered across the crimson length. A cream colored Obi enunciated Kyoko's thin waist, while minimal make-up enhanced her large eyes, prominent cheekbones and strawberry red lips. Lips that were now flattened in a concerned frown.

"I really am sorry for being late, ma'am." Kyoko responded honestly. _'If it wasn't for Mr. Tsuruga wanting to bare his soul, I _wouldn't_ have been late.' _She thought vehemently, feeling her grudges swirl around inside her. Stubbornly, she kept them from escaping and scaring poor Okami-san. Still…she was just a _co-worker _to him? Grrrahh! She would show him! She didn't need his friendship. Despite her inner turmoil over the idiotic man, she calmly executed a deep bow to the Taisho's wife. "Again, I am sorry."

"Stand up, child. You're fine. You carry a lot of responsibility on those shoulders and sometimes I think it takes too much out of you." Okami-san placed a hand on Kyoko's shoulder as the younger girl straightened. Gentle concern shone in her eyes and made Kyoko almost want to weep. "I had to tie that obi tighter than before. Are you okay? Are you getting enough to eat?"

"I'm fine." She heard herself say. Inside, a voice mumbled, '_spilling lies again.' _However, she kept up the happy exterior as she continued, "Things just have been busy. I'll eat better, I promise." She smiled wanly at the woman.

Okami-san smiled and cupped Kyoko's cheek. "You do that. Tonight, I'll make some extra, just for you." She backed away to approach the door.

Kyoko followed her downstairs and paused at the edge of the dining room. "Thank you, ma'am," she said softly, trying to blink back uncharacteristic tears. She smiled tremulously and gracefully greeted the room. "Well, I guess I'm on."

She greeted the dining room with grace and courtesy. Kyoko recognized some regular patrons and stopped by each table to welcome them back. To the new customers she greeted them with warmth and inquired about the reason for their visit. Darumaya's success was crucial on good word of mouth advertising, seeing as it was a small establishment. Every customer had to be treated like they were special and to ensure a good experience. It was one of the reasons Kyoko loved working there. Darumaya wasn't like _that man's_ family inn back home in Kyoto. Even while trying to provide good service it always had an indifferent air about the place. At that inn, it was all about profit and standing. At Darumaya, it was about the customers; a rare thing to find in Tokyo that was for sure.

Kyoko's mind drifted on to other topics as she served the tables. She thought back on Okami-san's words and had to blink back her sentiment. She had gotten familiar with the threatening burn of tears in the last few weeks. It seemed that any little thing could set her off. But she couldn't afford to get weak now. She had too many things to do and not enough time to take care of them. Lord knew she couldn't ask anyone for help. She wouldn't involve anyone she knew; her co-workers, Taisho, his wife, Moko-san…she was all alone in this endeavor.

"_Hmm…isn't that how the story always goes with you?"_ the sinister little Voice inside her spoke up. 'What do you mean by that?' she asked herself.

'_Seems like you're a little slow on the uptake, Ain'tcha?'_ it snickered.

'What the heck do you mean by that?' She was so angry with herself that she didn't stop to wonder why she was arguing with her own thoughts.

_'First your mom, then Corn, now Sho…when will the others leave you? Taisho? Okami-san? Moko-san?_' the Voice whispered maliciously in her ear, causing her to widen her eyes.

'No. Corn didn't leave me. He had to go. He said so,' she responded brokenly.

_'He still left. The others too. You weren't worth it for them to stay," _it said mercilessly.

'I…' Kyoko was at a loss for words. The Voice did have a point

'_Face it, that's why you haven't asked for help with this stalker. You have no one to ask. You don't deserve the help._' it said gleefully_._

Kyoko hung her head. She was by the beverage station, out of sight of the guests. She must really be sleep deprived if a voice was convincing her in her head about her self-worth.

'_Or lack therof…'_ The voice tacked on.

She ignored its cackling and thought back to the best friend she'd had; Shotaro. She had thought that they'd be friends forever but look where that got her. Because she'd spent so much time at Sho's Inn, trying to impress him and his parents, she'd never really had any other friends except for Corn.

Well, that was just a brief acquaintance. Albeit, a very pleasant acquaintance. Corn had never laughed at her dreams or scoffed at her princess fantasies. He had encouraged and listened to her; something no one else had done before. However, like all good things, it had to come to an end. He had to leave for his kingdom far away. And anyways, a person couldn't possibly ask a fairy prince to be friends with a mere human, right? In parting, he had given her a great gift of a blue stone that absorbed her sadness. She had used it several times over the years. Wait a minute! Hastily, she dug out the translucent stone in question and gently rubbed her fingertips over its multi-faceted edges. She had always carried it with her, and now was the perfect time to use it. She took a deep breath and focused her thoughts. 'Voice. I banish you to this stone. May its power seal you away forever,' she thought strongly.

'_You can't get rid of me…' _it shouted in defiance.

'Try me.' She grinned and rubbed the stone harder, focusing all of her self-doubt, loneliness, pain and sadness into the center of that stone.

'_I'll be back! Just….y…ou….w…ait!' _The Voice faded away angrily as the light caught the edge of the rock, causing it to glow brightly.

She stared at it for several more moments, mind curiously blank and waiting for that snide voice to come whispering back. When nothing but the noise from the dining room answered her, she smiled softly. Maybe that Voice was wrong, maybe she wasn't alone in the world.

So what did she have? She had co-workers, a very nice older couple for proprietors, Mr. Yashiro, Moko-san, teachers and bosses. She didn't dare put Mr. Tsuruga on that list because she didn't know where he belonged yet. Kyoko's smile slipped a bit as she thought further. Now she had three threatening notes, a dozen dead roses and a chain-slipping bike to add to that. Super.

"Miss! Can I have some more tea?" a voice called out.

Oh yeah, tack on twenty tables all asking for service to that list. "Coming," she called out softly and brought the tea. She could get through this. She just had to square her shoulders and buck up.

* * *

Several hours later, Kyoko bowed deeply to the last couple to walk out the door. "Thank you very much and have a nice night," she said serenely. When the door was closed for the last time, she allowed her shoulders to slump in fatigue and the smile vanished off her face. The job was finished for the night and the customers were satisfied. Her body wasn't though. It screamed for rest, food and a massage. It didn't have to be in that order either.

"Kyoko?" a gruff male voice asked from behind her, causing her to turn to face him.

"Yes, Taisho?" she responded neutrally.

"You did well tonight. I received many compliments from patrons on your grace and charm," Taisho spoke as if he wasn't sure on how to compliment someone, his voice carrying an awkward lilt.

"Thank you, sir. I am glad for the place to stay and the job," she replied honestly. She didn't say thank you to him or Okami-san near as much as she should. They had taken in a stray from Kyoto with no previous knowledge of her background or personality. They were very generous to have done so.

Taisho's only acknowledgement to her comment was to nod his head once. He held up the cash bag from the till. "I am putting the money in the safe for the night. Could you please bring the trash out to the dumpster in the alley?" He was already moving to the office as he phrased the question. Kyoko just shook her head and smiled.

"Of course, I'll grab the key and lock up while I am back there," she said to his retreating back as she moved to complete his request.

"Thanks." He disappeared into his office as she made her way to the backdoor in the kitchen.

He had arranged the four bags to sit neatly by the door, all of them stuffed to overflowing. Kyoko bent to lift one and very promptly dropped it. Gods, the things were heavy! She wrestled with the four plastic behemoths until she could jostle them and herself out the back door without dropping the keys in the process. She winced at the loud _smack_ the door caused as it slammed closed after she squeezed through. It was late and she hoped she didn't wake anyone up with the racket.

She waddled awkwardly with her burden away from the back of the restaurant and into the alley where the dumpsters were kept for the neighboring businesses. Several places shared two dumpsters and to be fair they were placed midway between the buildings. Unfortunately, Darumaya was the furthest away from the receptacles. The alleyway was quiet, the other stores had closed long before the inn. It always creeped her out, coming back here. There weren't nearly enough lights for her comfort and it always seemed wet and dank, almost like a dungeon. She looked up and around her. The backs of buildings surrounded her, like an urban box canyon. The windows were dark in all the buildings, giving her the impression of isolation and vulnerability; as if anything could happen to her here in this space and no one would be around to see it. She shivered at the thought even as she stubbornly tried to dismiss it. How many times had she taken the trash out and nothing had happened? She was letting her imagination run away from her. There were people in every one of those buildings. They may be asleep right now, but there were several taverns a block or so down the street. She wasn't alone in the city and she was being foolish to think so.

"Silly girl," she chided herself as she reached the black metal dumpsters. She tossed in the first bag and looked around. The loud sound of it hitting the bottom of the box hadn't drawn anyone's attention. She still was the only one in the alley. The second bag made less noise, landing on the first bag. Confident, she tossed in the third and fourth to finish her task and turned towards the rear entrance to the inn, hearing the wood of her geta scrape loudly on the asphalt.

Now that her job was done, she suddenly was desperate to get back inside the safety of the building. She clacked loudly down the alley, trying to calm her irrational fear. How many times had she taken the trash out for Taisho? Too many to count, and with the exception of seeing an occasional benign drunk, nothing had happened so far. She didn't have anything to worry about here. She was just tired and things were getting to her, that was all. Her internal debate was interrupted by the sound of three loud voices singing drunkenly off key and caused her to stop in the shadow of the building neighboring Darumaya.

"In heaven there is no beer…that's why we drink it here…cuz when we're gone from 'ere…our friends will be drinking all our beer!"

She wasn't alone anymore. Three guys were walking in her direction while singing. They had obviously been at one of the pubs down the street because two of the guys hung on each other as they sang. They seemed unaware of her prescence yet, but Kyoko knew she couldn't hide in the darkness forever. She watched them stagger and giggle and tried to think of a way out of this. The shoes she wore were enough to wake the dead. She didn't dare take them off and run barefooted in the alley. There was too much debris in the asphalt to do that. Her feet would be shredded to nothing. It would be better to walk quickly to reach the back door before they got to her. She took a couple of steps as wide as her kimono would allow before a wolf whistle from one of the men stopped her in her tracks

"Look! It's one o' dem Geesha girls!" one called out in a high-pitched, excited titter.

Kyoko froze at the guy's comment, feeling very much like a rabbit hiding from a fox. She could hear their footsteps coming down the alleyway. Oh crap…they were getting closer. She couldn't stay there, she had to get away! She clattered down the alley several more steps in the direction of the inn.

She heard another respond to the man's comment by saying, "It's pronounced gay-sha. Learn your own damn language and culture, idiot."

"I know! It's jus' that ya don't see one o' dem verra often," the first guy slurred badly.

"And this one is very pretty, wouldn't you say?" the third man said. He spoke in a soft voice, one that caused the hairs on Kyoko's neck to stand on end.

Kyoko gasped and skidded to a halt as the men staggered up alongside her, forming a semicircle around her. It left her back open, but escape wasn't a possibility seeing as she would be running directly into a dead end. Why, oh why did they have to choose that moment to leave whatever tavern or hotel they'd been at?

She took stock of her options. She was clothed in the traditional kimono, which restricted her movement-especially her stride. Also the geta on her feet wouldn't help anything either. She had nothing on her to use as a weapon besides the key to the inn. It was the only key on the ring, so she couldn't thread it through her fist. She decided to use her knowledge of propriety and charm to see if she could diffuse the situation.

"Excuse me, sirs." She ducked her head, folded her hands in front of her and prepared to walk around the trio.

"Not so fast, angel." The third voice was suddenly beside her, restraining her with a steel grip on her wrist. Kyoko's heart beat like a jackhammer in her chest as her mouth went dry with fear.

"Didja hear her! She sounded right proper, she did!" the first guy chortled happily.

Kyoko instantly thought of a weasel when the first guy spoke. It seemed like he was sucking up to the third guy, and his voice was squeaky and mean.

"That's because you're a lady- aren't you, angel?" The third guy spoke again. His voice was silky and calm beside her, which frightened her more than his friend's drunken comments.

"Um, I'm sorry sirs, but I do have to be going." She tried tugging her way free of Silky's grip, but he had too firm of a hold.

"Doncha wanna sing with us?" The Weasel whined while approaching her straight on. She got an up close and personal introduction with his sallow complexion, lank, greasy hair and beer flavored breath as he hugged her.

Panic was crawling its way up Kyoko's spine as she fought the embrace and tugged again on Silky's hold on her. He stood behind her as Weasel hugged her in front. The second guy stood guard over the situation. She felt Silky's fingers bite into her skin and knew she'd have a perfect imprint of his hand on her wrist. By now panic had a firm stranglehold on Kyoko's voice. Her eyes were impossibly wide as she frantically thought of what to do. She'd taken a couple self defense courses they offered at the agency, but going through maneuvers in a classroom was completely different from the real thing. Her mind seemed frozen on the fact that she was surrounded by three guys all bigger than her. It was not providing her with the handy "If You're Attacked In A Dark Alley, T_his_ Is What You Should Do" maneuver. Instead, her brain was sounding one long useless note of fear. No one had ever invaded her personal space like this, and it was freaking her out. She should have changed into regular street clothes before taking the trash out. That way she would have looked more androgynous and maybe the guys would have left her alone. At the very least she would have more freedom of movement and a possible way to fight back. This helplessness was causing her to hyperventilate as arms and hands enveloped her on all sides. She couldn't take it anymore!

"I'm sorry, I can't." She gave a good, hard jerk and managed to wrench herself away from the both of the men, but in the process of gaining her freedom, the geta caused her ankle to twist sharply. Kyoko stumbled and fell to the ground, gritting her teeth as an all too familiar stab of pain shot up her leg. Her ankle had suffered the same trauma in her early days at L.M.E. and had always been weak since that injury.

"Look what you did. Now your kimono is all stained and ripped," Silky crooned as he stooped down to her level. He eyed her up and down, lingered on the area where her kimono rode up and exposed her calves.

Kyoko knew she wouldn't be able to jump up and run away. She was hampered by the damn kimono and now her ankle throbbed in time with her heart. She rose up so she was kneeling on the asphalt and stared her adversary in the eye. Her fear was slowly bleeding away to be replaced by fury. The time for nice, polite manners was long gone and she glared defiantly into the man's eyes. The dark grudges began to slip free, circling around her in response to her anger. She loathed the three men who thought they could frighten her like this. The fact that she fell for it pissed her off. She had faced better adversaries than this; Shotaro, Mr. Tsuruga, the spiteful girls in the agency. She'd met each challenger head on, and would do so now with these assholes. "You bastards are not worth my time."

Silky's eyebrows shot up. "So the kitten has claws after all?" Then a grin spread along his face, filled with malicious intent. "Good. I hate frigid bitches. Boys, hold her."

Kyoko was shocked that her grudges and baleful glare had no effect on these guys. Of course, they were more evil than her intent could ever be. Still, she wouldn't give up. She stifled a scream as a guy grabbed her roughly by the hair and yanked her back and up, lurching her to her feet. Her ankle protested any weight put on it but it was quick and short-lived what with the way the men gripped her arms, effectively preventing her from fleeing by lifting her off the ground slightly.

"What are ya gonna do, boss?" Weasel panted wetly beside her ear. His greasy palm was still embedded in her hair, arching her throat back. The second guy, who had yet to say anything, stood on her other side with one hand on her bicep and one on the nape of her neck. '_Number Two'_, Kyoko mentally dubbed the silent one. She glared down the length of her face as Silky came to stand in front of her and clenched her hands into useless fists at her sides.

He grinned and made a _tsk_-ing sound as he shook his head at her. "She has a little too much fire yet. We need to make her a little more pliable to our suggestions." And before she could even think to cry out he backhanded her twice across the face, causing her head to snap from one side to the other. It happened so quickly, like a lightning strike, that pain wasn't immediately noticeable due to her shock.

Kyoko tasted blood and straightened her head to glare once again at him. "I thought,-" she spit out a stream of pink tinged saliva, "-that you hated frigid bitches?" Maybe if she kept the bastards talking, Taisho would realize that she wasn't back inside yet. How long had it been since she left the inn, anyway? It felt like forever, but in reality she knew it was only a few minutes. Shit!"

"I don't normally, but when they look as good as you…I don't mind trying to warm 'em up." Silky responded.

Kyoko had the realization that these three had done this before; terrorized women. This was too routine to them, not a random drunken idea at all. Had they been hired to come after her by the Stalker? Or was this just a coincidence that she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time? She was brought out of her thoughts by a warm wet tongue trailing up her neck to suck loudly on her ear. Weasel. She shuddered with revulsion that the drunk mistook as desire.

"Hey, she liked it boss!" he declared proudly.

Kyoko took that moment to stab the corner of the geta roughly into Weasel's instep, causing the man to howl with pain and rear back. She cried out sharply as Weasel not only maintained his hold in her hair, but also gave it a sharp yank. His fingers gouged down to her scalp and she could feel his nails dig deep.

"That sound. Do it again. I want to hear you." Silky's voice had gone husky and he had a hand to the front of his pants. Gross.

She glared at him until Number Two reminded her of his presence by shoving a fist into her unprotected right side. She cried out again involuntarily as she felt something give in there. Numbly, she wondered if he'd broken a rib. It hurt to draw a deep breath.

"Yesss." Silky hissed out and stalked close to her, molding her left breast to his palm.

She forgot all bravado and anger, and just fought to get free of the three guys surrounding her. Her earlier sense of claustrophobia was nothing to the situation she was in now. Weasel kept yanking her hair back and now his other hand deserted her bicep to grab her ass roughly pinching. Kyoko felt the molten rush of adrenaline flood her system. Her body was priming itself for the elemental 'fight or flight' response. Only she hadn't yet figured out which reaction to go with. Simultaneously she fought on the physical plane with the men as mentally, she fought with her anger. Her sense of injustice over this happening to her was growing by the second. She was Kyoko! She should be able to take these guys on. This just didn't happen to her. Her fury at being overpowered was a strange and new experience. Here she was, immobilized with terror, yet she still felt an indignant fury at her circumstance. Darumaya was in a pleasant part of Tokyo, and she'd like to think of herself as a decent type of person. Decent people are not attacked behind their house! But all the mental railing she did changed nothing of the situation unfolding as she struggled. She couldn't will it all away, and her attempts at escape were proving futile. She must try harder!

Silky trailed kisses along her bruised cheek and continued to paw at her breasts roughly, pinching and pulling. She turned her face away to thwart his efforts and stomped her feet in the area of where theirs were, but with her head yanked back, all she saw were the tops of buildings and the night sky. She felt desperate. If she couldn't get away, she was going to be raped right here behind Darumaya. .

She brought her hands up, clawed, and pushed at whatever body she could reach. All three now were grabbing her everywhere and tongues laved her face, neck. Her kimono was ripped by one eager hand down the front to give them a full view of her cleavage. She was rewarded for her efforts by fists in her sides, and a full out stomach shot from Silky that caused her to double over as the breath left her. Of course, this put her right on eye level with Silky's crotch and he took advantage of that by pressing his clothed shaft into her face, pressing harder every time she tried to turn away. Weasel cashed in on her jackknifed position to rub himself into her rear end, all the while maintaining his hold in her hair. Number Two grabbed her right breast and gave it a firm squeeze before drawing back and landing a punch in the same area where he struck before.

The blow caused her to recoil in shock and pain, she brought her shoulders up, but her legs gave out and she crumpled to her knees in front of Silky. She heard him laugh as he back fisted her once, causing her to see stars. She fought for consciousness even as her side protested her short, wheezing gasps. Her cheek felt like it was on fire after Silky's repeated abuse. He took hold of her hair, leaving Weasel's wandering hands free to grab her roughly. Silky shoved her face into his crotch. "Now, angel, are you ready to play nicely?"

Panting, Kyoko struggled to get her face away from his nether regions. Her body ached and she desperately hoped that Taisho or someone noticed that she hadn't come back in. She whimpered when Silky shoved her harder into him and he thrust excitedly. The feel of his flesh under the fabric of his pants repulsed her. Anger, fear, incredulousness, and every other emotion she was feeling mixed in a conglomeration of futility. She had the idle thought that maybe she wasn't going to get out of this. No! She would _not_ give up! She wouldn't be just another brutalized woman. She grit her teeth and lunged, biting Silky right where it counted.

The leader shrieked with pain and danced back from her. The other two still holding her looked at their boss in shock as he cradled his injured manhood and glared daggers at her. Kyoko smiled grimly and said, "Is that nice enough for you?" She jerked her arms forward, causing Weasel and Number Two to stumble and loosen their grips on her arms. She brought her fists up sharply and slammed each man in the crotch as well. It looked like there was one advantage for having fallen to her knees, she was right where she needed to be for maximum damage to _that_ part of them.

Silky, who had recovered rather quickly for having his groin bitten into, sent a foot flying into Kyoko's side—the same one that Number Two had punched earlier. She cried out in pain as she was sent skidding across the pavement. Her chin and palms scraped across the harsh surface as she tried to remember how to breathe through the sharp, stabbing pains shooting into her chest from the two blows.

"You stupid bitch! I'm gonna kill you!" Silky snarled.

Kyoko numbly heard the slam of a door and the clatter of hurried feet on the concrete. She didn't dare look up. She curled herself into a ball, trying to protect herself from any more possible attacks.

"What's going on here? Kyoko!" a familiar gruff voice called out in concern.

"T-Taisho?" Kyoko stammered weakly. She picked her head up slightly to see the older man framed by the light of a street lamp, looking for all the world like a Yakuza boss complete with a naked katana resting on his shoulder. He held the sheath loosely at his side.

"Whoah, a sword wielding gramps, I'm so afraid." Weasel tittered as he pushed to his feet once again. All three guys stood and faced Taisho, the thought of raping the girl fading from their mind when faced with a new enemy.

Taisho didn't respond. He didn't need to. In the blink of an eye, he was in motion, dashing forward until he was right in the middle of the three men, slashing and hacking in every direction.

Kyoko didn't follow the battle. Once she realized that Taisho was there helping her, she allowed her cheek to hit the cold, damp pavement and gave in to the shock that was setting in.

* * *

It could have been minutes or hours that passed since the fight began, but the next thing Kyoko knew she was staring up into the worried face of Taisho as he knelt beside her. "Are they dead?" she asked weakly. She repressed the shudder that tried to work itself through her body. She looked past the innkeeper to the three bodies sprawled so near to her.

"They should be, for what they did to you. But no, I didn't kill them." He helped her to sit up, pausing for a moment as she shook her head to clear it. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.

The world tilted and swam in response to her movement. "I think so. You came right in time." She kept hold of his comforting hand on her shoulder and fought off another round of shakes as the realization of how narrowly she'd escaped sank in. She panted in shallow breaths, the pain in her right side not allowing anything deeper. "I should be okay in a day or two," she whispered.

"Here, let me help you inside." Taisho carefully circled an arm around her and helped her to her feet. They took slow, small steps back to the safety of Darumaya, but even that was enough to leave Kyoko panting with the effort. There was no doubt that had Taisho's arm not been around her, she would have passed out.

Once inside, Taisho bellowed, "Mother! Come quick! Kyoko's been hurt!"

Instantly, Kyoko sought to deflect the importance of the call. "No, I'm fine! Just let me be. I'm-crap." Her protests died once she saw Okami-san round the corner.

"What in the world? Kyoko! You poor thing! Let's get you upstairs." Okami-san rushed over and immediately took her husband's place by Kyoko's side. Before Kyoko could argue further, Okami-san was helping her up the stairs and into the bathroom. It felt odd to have the two fussing over her like this, but she couldn't find it in her to argue any further. Her pulse was still pounding rapidly and she couldn't seem to stop shaking.

Once the bathroom door closed, Kyoko stood frozen in front of the mirror while Okami-san ran a bath. She stared at her reflection in mute shock. Was this really what she looked like? She looked like a truck had hit her. Her hair hung in ragged clumps, still held in a few places by pins. Her chin was scuffed from hitting the pavement and her makeup was smeared irreparably all over her face, highlighting the bruises on her cheekbones from the abuse. Her once vibrant red kimono was soiled and ripped in several places and her obi was half-untied. Her feet were showing in the places where the geta had ripped the tabi. Her arms, chest, back, and stomach all ached from where the guys had landed their blows.

"There now, the bath's as good as ready. Let's get you undressed." Taisho's wife said soothingly. She turned to Kyoko and proceeded to help free her hair from the remaining pins. The obi was untied completely and dropped to the ground and the older woman peeled back the kimono just enough to let it slide from Kyoko's thin shoulders. As the fabric hit the ground, Okami-san let out a sharp, surprised gasp.

Bruises had already begun to form along Kyoko's right side and chest. Her wrist had a perfect imprint of a hand around it, so clear that each individual finger could be seen clearly. The heels of her hands were scraped from falling on the pavement and bits of gravel were buried into the bright red marks.

"My word, look at you! You should go to the hospital! Okami-san responded worriedly.

"No!" Kyoko exclaimed, momentarily panic-stricken at the idea. She paused, taking a breath to regain her composure. "I mean no, I'm fine. Nothing's broken. A trip to the hospital wouldn't accomplish anything." Even as Kyoko said this she was reminded of her earlier thoughts. Had it all been a coincidence, or was the Stalker upping the ante? She shivered at the thought. She looked up into Okami-san's concerned gaze. "I hate knowing that those guys are still out there. Yes, Taisho took care of them for me, but I think we should call the cops and let them know what happened tonight." Kyoko was confused when she saw not relief, but apprehension cloud the older woman's eyes at her suggestion.

"Well, that is something that should be done." Okami-san's voice was soft and reluctant. She draped a towel around Kyoko and turned away in silence.

Instantly, Kyoko was indignant. What was Okami-san's problem? Kyoko had been attacked and Okami-san didn't want to go to the police? Those bastards would probably leave her and this area alone after getting a taste of Taisho's katana. However, that wouldn't stop them from making a victim of another unsuspecting girl. Kyoko wanted them put away forever where they couldn't hurt anyone ever again!

"It's just that, well, you were almost raped," the older woman started, "and that is horrible. But, oh, you're going to hate me for this." She rubbed a hand over her face.

Kyoko's irritation instantly abated. Now she was concerned for Okami-san. "What am I going to hate you for?" she asked neutrally.

"Forgive me for saying this, but if we alert the police they will come here and start asking questions. The neighborhood will get involved, and everyone will know that there was an assault behind our restaurant. To be honest, I don't think Darumaya could endure the harsh speculation. Our reputation as a family-friendly establishment would suffer, and we'd lose business." Okami-san continued quickly, "What happened to you tonight is horrible and yes, I know that those men should be punished, but…" she left off as she became more upset.

Still feeling uneasy herself, Kyoko found herself comforting the older woman. "I understand, Okami-san." She forced her brain to come up with a solution that would fix all. "What if we put in an anonymous call in to the police, tip them off to three suspicious figures behind this block. The police will find the men unconscious and injured in the alley. What are they going to tell the cops, some old man beat them up? The police will never go for that, so they'll ask the guys what they _were_ up to. Sure, they won't fess up to what they were really doing, but this way Darumaya won't be implicated in any scandal."

"But Kyoko, what about what happened to you? Those men won't get the punishment they deserve." Okami-san's eyes were tearful, yet held the sheen of relief.

Kyoko fought with a mix of emotions that prevented her from answering the older woman. It was true that this way cleared the restaurant of any shady reputation. In addition, it left those guys free and clear to repeat tonight's crime on another, a fact that did not sit well with her at all. In any normal situation, she would be blazing up to the precinct house to demand the immediate arrest and execution of said lowlives. However, she didn't want to deal with it all tonight. She wanted to go to President Takarada tomorrow at the agency and clue him in on _everything_ that has been happening to her. If this was indeed the work of the Stalker, well, it was more than Kyoko could handle on her own. It was time she got help, and by informing the President, she could protect L.M.E as well as Darumaya from any ill press she might generate. With those two entities taken care of, she would eagerly barge into the police station and insist that justice be done.

"Kyoko? Are you all right?" Okami-san asked apprehensively.

Kyoko shook herself out of her thoughts. "Huh? What?" Too late she had realized that she had been lost in her thoughts and hadn't answered Okami-san. "Oh yes. Well, this is what I was thinking about." She proceeded to tell the older woman about her feelings on speaking with President Takarada before going to the authorities. She left out any mention of the Stalker, she didn't want to worry the woman further.

Okami-san thought for a few moments about Kyoko's plan. "I agree that maybe alerting the agency to the attack last night would protect them and yourself against bad press. Forewarned is forearmed, they say. However, I still don't agree with you about not going to the hospital, but get into the hot water. I will take care of you the best I can."

"Thank you, ma'am." Kyoko said sincerely as she slid into the steaming water filled with fragrant oils. Its embrace was soothing to her battered body.

"Ma'am is what I am to a customer. 'Mother' or 'Mom' is what I am to you, missy, got it?" Her 'mother' gave her a look of mock annoyance.

Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise and tears spilled over. She laughed shakily and smiled. "Yes…Mom."

"Good. Now you soak in here for a while, I'll make that call and go check on my superhero husband." She got up and exited the bathroom. As she left, Kyoko heard her mutter,"Damn fool man taking on three guys half his age…." Kyoko sniffled, wiping a hand across her eyes. What a night! Hell, what a month it's been. She received threatening notes from a stalker, got dead roses sent to her on set, her bike was acting up and now this. It was so much to take in at once, and she still had a hard time believing that it had all happened to her. And tonight… Kyoko swallowed hard and tried to think about something more pleasant; like the wonderful people she worked for.

The older couple really cared about her! It was nice to know someone wanted her around, and not just, for what she could do. There was no way Taisho and his wife could have feigned the level of concern and compassion they had shown her tonight. Little did they know it was the most attention anyone had really shown her. Because of that, she found it difficult to refer to the older woman as 'Mom'… but she'd try.

Kyoko slid deeper into the water. Despite her efforts to think positively, her mind kept looping back to what had happened in the alleyway. This was all happening so fast and she was feeling powerless to stop (or at least slow down) the escalation of events. It was way past time to talk to President Takarada about all of this. After all, the Stalker started after her because she was playing Mio on Dark Moon. That meant it was related to the agency. Perhaps they could do some checking and see if there were any disgruntled employees that they knew about. Kyoko didn't know how this all worked, but she had to admit that trying to take care of it herself wasn't working. In fact, in light of tonight's incident, and if it _was_ related to the Stalker, she was failing horribly at solving the puzzle.

She picked up the washcloth that was floating in the water next to her and ran it up and down her left arm. Looking down, she noticed the bruise on her right wrist and shivered again, even in the warm water. Thank God that Taisho had come when he had. Otherwise, she'd be lying broken and violated in the alley right now, or even possibly dead. The thought of those three guys…having their way with her. She shuddered violently and wrapped her arms around her knees, curling up in the water despite her body's protests at the movement. She was suddenly glad for any pain she had. It meant she was alive and able to feel it.

* * *

By the time Okami-san came back into the bathroom, Kyoko's skin was wrinkled and pruney looking. "Kyoko, are you ready to get out?" Mom came to the edge of the tub.

"Yeah." Kyoko nodded and grabbed for the tub, whimpering in pain when sore muscles refused to work right. "Damn!" She grit her teeth and stood, though the effort resulted in shallow pants and an arm clamped around her injured side. The older woman wrapped her in a soft towel and led her to her room where a pair of fresh PJ's greeted her.

"Now," Okami-san said as she tucked Kyoko in. "You will stay home from school and work tomorrow and rest. Don't look at me like that! I am going to call the Director for the show you're working on, and as well as the principal at the school."

"But…" Kyoko piped up only to be shushed again.

"I won't tell them what happened. I can tell you don't want to share that with anyone. I will simply say that you are ill and need to stay home. They won't question your mother. Also, you need some rest and time away from work. You can speak to President Takarada when you get back. This is my compromise on the whole hospital thing. Got it?" Okami-san pinned an unyielding look down at Kyoko, one that very clearly said there would be no arguing with her.

Kyoko couldn't help but grin. "I didn't know my mother was such a pushy, overbearing woman." That made her think of her real mother, who _was_ pushy and overbearing, and also not to mention callous and cold. She didn't think that Okami-san would have that strong of a backbone, but she cared for Kyoko and that's all that mattered.

"Well, some situations call for those particular traits. Now get some sleep, it's late." She winked at Kyoko before crossing, turning the light off as she exited.


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: I am illegally taking internet time at work to post this in a hurry. This following chapter is going to read a bit rushed. I didn't even get a chance to send this to my beta, nimblnymph. So if it's of a lower grade than the other chapters, I am sorry. I just didn't want to see this story die! I have so many ideas and directions for this story to follow. Trying to hook these two up may seem easy. But damn are Kyoko and Ren complex characters!_**

**_So, without further ado, here's the next installment of Affliction!_**

**_Ciao,_**

**_Shinigamis Wrath_**

* * *

Ren was getting the final touches of his stage make-up put on when Yashiro walked up to him the next morning. "There's been a change of plans for shooting today." his manager stated.

"Oh?" Ren kept his face forward, allowing the cosmetologist to do her job. It didn't surprise him. Show business was always changing and Ren had learned to never sweat the small stuff. A person didn't get far in the career if you were always getting upset over minor schedule changes, or costume/set changes. That caliber of acting seldom got callbacks for additional work. However, Ren was brought out of his idle thoughts with the other man's next words.

"Yes. All the scenes you were to do with Kyoko were cancelled. You'll be doing Katsuki and Mizuki scenes today." Yashiro said.

"What?" Ren turned his head to look at Yashiro. "Why?" Where was Kyoko? He'd been looking forward to seeing her today. He couldn't give a reason why and logically, there wasn't one. That's what scared him the most. It meant he was weakening in his resolve to remain on a professional level only.

"I believe she's out sick. Apparently, Director Ogata received a call stating that she was ill. I wonder what could be the matter." Yashiro hinted subtly.

"Sick? Even sick, she'd come to work and infect all of us than stay home," Ren told himself to calm down and think it through. "Hmm…perhaps a cold?" He murmured. 'She seemed fine yesterday, except for the unexpected delivery.' He thought to himself. His manager's less than subtle hint hadn't escaped Ren's attention. He knew that Yashiro enjoyed playing the matchmaker between himself and Kyoko. In turn, Ren got a perverse pleasure over downplaying his feelings and portraying a lack of reaction to Yashiro, just to further irritate his manager. After all, it would only give him a large head if he knew that his efforts of putting Kyoko and Ren together were actually working.

"Well I guess we won't know more than that until she comes back. She's still on schedule for tomorrow, however you have that photo shoot across town. Therefore, you won't be able to see her until later. Provided she doesn't have to study or work, of course," Yashiro checked his planner.

"Can you monitor her condition?" Ren asked levelly. If he couldn't see her tomorrow when she got back, then he would leave it to his manager, no his friend's, capable hands. All professional duty had faded years ago between the two men. They had a base of friendship and respect that many managers/talents did not. There was the added benefit that Yashiro never tried to pry into Ren's past; just his 'relationship' with a certain Love Me Member.

"I think you overestimate my abilities this time, Ren." Yashiro responded dryly. He watched as the make-up girl fought to keep applying the actor's foundation. He could see thoughts flash across Ren's face, and his head would move unconsciously as he processed ideas.

Ren smiled slightly, "I don't think I am, because you seem to know _my_ every move; sometimes before I even make one."

Yashiro chuckled, "That's because I'm your manager. It's my job to keep tabs on you."

Ren sighed, "Yeah, I guess. Still, I wonder what's going on with her." He didn't realize that he'd said the last question aloud and was surprised when Yashiro answered.

"Would this have anything to do with me checking on her grades, President Takarada checking on her employee drug screens, and Director Ogata keeping her hours on set manageable?" Yashiro smiled coyly at Ren who had given up all pretense of sitting still for the make-up professional, much to the girl's consternation.

"I don't know what you're trying to insinuate. I'm merely ensuring that I'm not associating with drug addicts, inept or ignorant people." Ren responded coolly. The woman had finished with his blush and hastily beat a retreat at the frigid tone of Ren's conversation.

Yashiro actually scoffed, "Please. You know Kyoko has never been any of those. And I know you consider her more than just a 'co-worker'."

"An _annoying_ coworker?" Ren supplied with his trademark gentlemanly smile.

Yashiro was too busy to notice the killer smile because he was making adjustments in his planner. He did snort in response to the emphasized adjective. "Whatever you tell yourself to help you sleep at night. Sure. She's annoying." He added in a patronizing tone before continuing in his professional tone. "Let me remind you that you're guest appearing on the Variety Show tomorrow evening."

Ren looked up at Yashiro who was still standing beside him. "Is that the one with the chicken mascot?" He was curious about the person who wore the costume. Whoever it was, they had responded to Ren's question so oddly yesterday—even for Bo.

Now that he thought about it, that chicken had always helped him solve his problems. Moreover, it spoke to him as if it/he/she actually _knew_ what was going on in Ren's life. Even this last encounter when he confessed that he was concerned about Kyoko, Bo had gotten all hot under the collar about Ren minding his own business. Then he acted almost hurt when Ren had told the lie about regarding Kyoko as _just_ a co-worker. Whoever was in there certainly was a strange person.

"You're looking awfully intent for just another TV appearance. Do you know whoever is in that suit?" his manager asked, seeming to read Ren's mind yet again.

"No, I don't. However, it doesn't matter. I'll go through with it. You should know that by now." Ren stood up, stretched, and removed the paper bib out of the collar of his shirt. He walked off in the direction of the stage while a pensive Yashiro watched him go.

"Play nonchalant all you want, Ren, but you're worried about her." Yashiro muttered to himself. He idly wondered when his friend was finally going to admit that he wanted Kyoko.

* * *

Kyoko woke up to see the late morning sun filter through her window. She shifted a little into her warm blankets and stifled a groan. Her entire body hurt! Suddenly she was glad that Okami-san had forced her to stay home today. There was no way she would've been able to work on the Dark Moon set today.

She raised her right wrist and held it above her face. There was the handprint that Silky had left behind, dark as ever. She turned her hand so her palm was visible. Angry red scrapes marred it surface. As Mio, she would never get caught up in an altercation like last night's incident. The rich did not resort to fisticuffs, not when a verbal weapon dealt more damage with less effort.

Shaking herself out of the brief lapse into the Mio persona, Kyoko struggled to get out of bed. The injury on her right side protested every movement, every breath she took. She clamped her left arm around her ribs and held tight. It seemed to help some as she walked slowly and cautiously down the hall to the bathroom.

Inside, she washed her face and brushed her teeth. She looked into the mirror and the face of a prizefighter greeted her. Her chin had a dark scab from where it had met pavement. Her right cheekbone was shadowed with a bruise and had faint red lines gracing the ridge where it too, had kissed asphalt. Her eyes were bloodshot and haunted as she inspected herself. She was in mid-perusal when a knock came at the door.

"Kyoko?" a faint voice came.

"Yes, Ok-Mom?" she called out, wincing when trying to raise her voice caused her side to hitch.

"Do you need some help getting dressed? I don't mean to pry," the older woman asked.

Kyoko thought about it, "Actually yes, I could use some help. I didn't bring any clothes in here with me, and it hurt to walk." She ran a hand through her hair, grimacing when her fingers met the tender scalp from Weasel's abusive fingers.

"I'll grab some fresh pajamas and be right back," Okami-san's voice faded as she walked away.

"Super," Kyoko sighed, "more PJs." She wondered how the filming was going for Dark Moon. Mom had stated that Director Ogata was fine with Kyoko's absence and said to get well soon. Still Kyoko missed being there. She missed being Mio—as weird as that sounded—but most of all though, she missed doing _something_. She had just gotten up, but already she didn't know what to do with herself. Usually she was running from one commitment to the next without a lot of downtime. Now that she had a whole day with nothing to fill it, the hours seemed to stretch endlessly. She sighed tiredly and went to open the bathroom door at Okami-san's approach.

"Here we are," the older woman bustled in, "a fresh set of lounge wear."

"Thank you," Kyoko responded softly, and then added, "Do you have any bandages? My right side is sore. It helps if I hold it like this, so maybe if it was wrapped?"

Okami-san smiled, "Of course, my dear." She turned to the linen closet and after a short search, pulled out a box of white wrap. "I think this should do the trick," she turned back to Kyoko, "Okay take off your shirt so we can take a look."

Slowly and painfully, Kyoko did as she was instructed. When the shirt was off, both girls looked in awe at Kyoko's side and chest. Her right side was completely black from bruising. It even had a slightly reddish tinge that spoke of continued and recent bleeding. It wrapped from by her right kidney on her back all the way around to her sternum/stomach. It stretched from under the breast to her waist. Her left side also had fist shaped splotches from their violence.

Okami-san _tsked_ in dismay, "I should've brought you in last night. I _should_ bring you in now. But," she held up a staying hand when it looked like Kyoko was going to protest, "I already know your viewpoint on the subject. I'll wrap your chest as best I can, but time is going to be the only thing to heal these wounds."

"Thanks, Mom," Kyoko said in relief.

"Don't thank me yet, you're not going to enjoy the wrapping process."

It turned out the older woman was right; Kyoko definitely did _not_ enjoy getting her torso wrapped. First off, it was so tight she could hardly breathe. Second, it hurt so bad it brought tears to her eyes and sweat popped out along her brow. Afterward, Okami-san helped her into a fresh t-shirt and PJ pants to escort her to Kyoko's room.

There, she tucked Kyoko in, turned on the TV, placed the remote within reach and stepped back. "Just get some rest and you'll feel better. I'll bring some lunch up in a bit, sound good?"

"Yeah, that sounds great," Kyoko agreed. She waited until the older woman left before picking up the remote to surf disinterestedly through the channels. The only thing that was on right now was soap operas. Ugh. Daytime television. Was there anything worse? She stared quizzically at the screen as one character lamented about falling for her brother's best friend—who was actually the father of her cousin's baby though no one knew it.

Why did people watch this crap? At least _Dark Moon_ was a drama that had a solid plot line. It was about two sisters lusting after the same man, though for different reasons; one out of infatuation, the other because of envy. Wait. That sounded a lot like a soap opera to Kyoko; the endless cycle of complicated relationships and unrequited love.

Was that the only type of love that truly existed? One-sided obsession with no hope of reciprocation had shaped her into the person she was today. She had yet to see a true case of pure love to prove her theory wrong. She meant the mythical, noble, selfless, all-consuming emotion that every legend and fairy tale spoke of. It was the type of love that possessed a person to the point that they would do anything for their mate and know _without a doubt _that the sentiment would be returned one hundred percent.

Instead, people used others for their own personal gain. Everyone was out for Number 1, and it didn't matter who they had to trample over in their efforts. Family, loved ones, even perfect strangers fell under the twin scythes of selfishness and lust. The events last night were a perfect example, and the mere thought of it had her shivering and hugging herself in bed.

Once, a long time ago, she'd hoped that her first kiss would've been with Shotaro—that rat fink bastard—but she never imagined that it would've been forced on her like it was last night. She grimaced at the memory of slimy tongues in her mouth, on her cheek, running down her neck. She swallowed down bile as she gazed unsightly at the TV. Was that what sex was all about? A bunch of groping, grabbing hands and slobbery mouths filled with pain and humiliation? How could any girl enjoy that? Kyoko shuddered in revulsion again and felt her cheeks burn with an embarrassed flush.

Intellectually, she knew that love and happiness had nothing to do with last night. She also knew that normal couples didn't engage in that sort of behavior. The things that last night proved for her was to keep her distance from everyone and reaffirmed her belief to give up on love. The useless emotion only brought out the worst in people, and she had better things to do with her time. Like trying to figure out who her stalker was and putting an end to his machinations.

Still…it was nice for Director Ogata to wish her well. It made Kyoko wonder if anyone _else_ noticed that she was absent? Or was it just business as usual? They hadn't planned to film any important scenes today, she remembered, only some filler scenes between Mio and Katsuki…_Katsuki!_ Mr. Tsuruga! Kyoko's eyes widened. Oh, crap! She had messed up his schedule today!

Numbly, she clutched the blanket in one white knuckled grip while shakily wiping a hand down her face. He would no doubt be curious as to why she was gone. He'd probably think she was playing hooky or some such nonsense. But that'd be nothing compared to his ire at having to reschedule his entire day. As an important actor, his time was valuable and she'd screwed it all up. He was going to be so pissed at her!

Or, maybe it was the opposite situation. Maybe he didn't care at all about why she was gone. Perhaps he didn't even notice the change in the shooting schedule, or even her absence. After all, he had told Bo that he considered her _just_ a co-worker. Everyone had such crazy schedules that Director Ogata merely took advantage of whoever could show up on certain days to film. Thinking on it, Kyoko herself couldn't totally say for sure who was supposed to be on set even that day aside from its lead. It was very possible that Mr. Tsuruga was completely oblivious to her absence. She shouldn't flatter herself; he had more important things to think about than her. His manager, Mr. Yashiro could deftly reschedule Mr. Tsuruga's day without any major trouble.

Applying this logic, the latter scenario was much more likely, but she wondered why it bothered her more than facing Mr. Tsuruga's anger. Curious over the feeling, Kyoko's brows furrowed in thought. It reminded her of her relationship with her Mother. So many times Kyoko had tried to get her Mom's attention only to get a cold rebuff back into the shadows. Growing up, it had felt like she was chasing the sun, something bright that drew you, but in the end was unreachable and would burn you if you got too close. Therefore, in her line of thinking, if Mr. Tsuruga was angry with her, it meant that she mattered to him. That he _saw_ her. If he didn't notice or care, then he was just another sun that she was chasing, and that he couldn't be bothered with her existence.

Nevertheless, why did his estimation matter? Why did she strive to have him notice her? Was it because she was using him to base the growth of her acting experience on? Was he her standard of measure? No, it was more than that. She was seeking his approval. Just like Shotaro's parents. She was once again trying to prove herself for others. However, this had a different feel to it. Kyoko wasn't trying to impress Mr. Tsuruga the same way she had for _that man's_ parents. She was trying to impress Mr. Tsuruga with her hard won ability, so that he may look at her with admiration…as a peer. She wanted to gain experience and prowess to be on equal footing with Mr. Tsuruga. In a way, he _was_ her standard of measure. If she could get to Mr. Tsuruga's level of acting, it meant that she would defeat Shotaro. So what if the man himself made her weak at the knees and caused her heart to race; it was only the effects of standing before his greatness. Because Mr. Tsuruga was currently ranked #1 in Japan as the top male, this would put her at #1 Female. Kyoko grinned evilly and urged her demons to come out and revel in her dark ambitions. Satisfied for the moment, she chose a rerun of her favorite shows and settled back in her bed to wait for lunch.

* * *

"Why had she been gone today?" The question chased itself in Ren's mind like a dog chasing its tail. Throughout the entire day, he'd gone through every possible illness, excuse or situation that could force someone to miss work and nothing seemed to fit. Or rather, some of the more outlandish possibilities stuck in his mind to the point where he was now fighting his overactive imagination.

How he'd made it through the day, he didn't know. All he could think about was Miss Mogami, and how the facts about her were not adding up, no matter how many times he went through it in his head. Pacing in his apartment after his shower, he decided to dissect it all again. First, Kyoko was not a weakling. She'd work through her handicap and ask for more. She didn't complain and the job always came first. One of her first acting challenges reminded him of this fact. She'd performed a tea ceremony for him while kneeling on a severely injured ankle. A simple cold wouldn't make her stay home.

However, he had never heard for sure if she was home today because of a common illness. It was true that in the last few weeks she'd deteriorated before his eyes, losing weight, and her petite frame turned frail. Perhaps it was something more serious, something…terminal? He was shocked at how his brain vehemently rejected the idea of Kyoko having an incurable disease.

To get his mind off that particular mental minefield, Ren instead thought of the dead roses Kyoko had received. He'd called the number of the florist from the receipt he'd pilfered. It had belonged to an all night grocery store, possibly it was a misprint on the slip. The scrap of paper didn't have any other clues that had jumped out at him. Of course, he wasn't a sleuth, but if it meant helping Kyoko, he'd try anything once.

Shaking his head in frustration, he finally wandered to his bedroom; committed to the charade of trying to go to bed. He knew he'd get no sleep tonight. His mind was filled with its favorite topic: Kyoko Mogami.


	6. Chapter 6

_**UPDATE 10/6/10**_

_**Once again, Windyrella has been verbally prodding me to get chapter 7 up ASAP. And I will tell all of you what I told her. This summer has been busy at the Harley shop, and I have been having health issues. I went to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and found out my heart condition is the reason for my problems. Long story short: I have to have major Open-Heart surgery in November. Kind of scary! But good in a way as I can use my hospital stay as research material.**_

_**You're asking, What is this mean to us? Well, few faithful readers, that means Shinigami's going to be stuck in her house for 8 weeks with no work. So, I will be re-reading the manga, to reaquaint myself with Ms. Mogami and her plights, and will be posting. (I can't even DRIVE for 4 weeks after the surgery, I'm going to go nuts!)**_

_**SO yes, I suck as an author, and I really don't want to give up on this story. So if you'll have me, I'll keep writing it. **_

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**Author's note: Greetings all! First off, let me extend a huge thanks to Windyrella, who pointed out the errors of my chapter! She reminded me on several things that I had gapped out on. One thing I need to say right now, is that I know in the manga, the Bridge Rock hosts like Kyoko. She gets along fine with them. However let's just say that for this day, they are grumpy and had a helluva day. If you need a reason, think one up that would put you in a cranky mood. Anyhoo. That's that... I needed some conflict for the story plotwise, so, there you have it!**

**Also, shout out to Butterflywings27 and J Luc Pitard! Thank you for sticking with it! I am on to type up the first draft of Chapter 7! I am on a roll!  
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Despite Okami-San's protests, Kyoko got up the next morning and went into class. It was her 'school day' and she'd only have an hour or two in the afternoon to hustle it over to the agency to speak with President Takarada before heading over to the studio for her weekly Bo the Chicken appearance.

Truthfully, she didn't know how much 'hustling' she had in her today. Even though nothing had been broken the night before last, she was even more stiff and sore than yesterday. She moved slowly and wore a long sleeved hoodie to hide most of the bruises. The ones on her face were not so easy to conceal. Already she'd skated by the teacher's concerns with glib responses of, "I fell," or, "You should see the other guy!"

Kyoko had noted another change to her demeanor throughout the day. The thought came to her as she pushed open the doors to the agency's main building. She had kept a wide berth around everyone around her. It didn't matter if they were a boy or girl. She would maintain at least a meter of space around her. It pissed her off that Silky and his two delinquent lackeys had caused her that much stress. She'd forced herself to get closer to several of her classmates, only to shy away involuntarily with shallow breaths that pained her beneath the white wrapping around her ribs.

Moreover, even now she was still fuming over the thought. She'd stormed her way through the building earlier to demand to see President Takarada, but he was unavailable due to meetings. When Kyoko had realized that she wasn't going to see the President then, she'd made her way down to the locker room where her Bo costume was. Her slow movements had given her ample time to cool down, and she was thankful that she hadn't run into anyone that she knew; especially Mr. Tsuruga, Maria, or Moko-san.

"At least no one will see my face with this on." She said aloud to herself as she fought with the weighty head of the chicken. It was a struggle to lift it over her head and her chest burned in protest as it settled on her shoulders. Even with the wrapping that Okami-san had done, moving in the suit was going to prove difficult. Tokyo was going to see a more subdued chicken tonight.

As soon as everything was set, she waddled down the hallway to the stage. Idly Kyoko wondered who was going to guest on the show tonight. She'd forgotten to check earlier and silently prayed that it wouldn't be _that man_. She didn't have the energy to deal with him tonight. She barely had the energy to play Bo. She paused backstage and rested her right 'wing' against the wall to catch her breath.

"Ready for tonight, Bo?" A sound guy asked while passing her. Vigorously she nodded and gave thumbs up with her left 'wing'.

"That's the spirit!" he laughed good-naturedly.

Kyoko watched the lights dim and Bridge Rock as they stepped out onto the stage to greet the eager crowd. "Good Evening, Tokyo!" Hikaru, the lead host, called out excitedly to the roar of the crowd. "We've got a great show for you tonight! We've got…hey; wait a minute…where's that darn chicken?"

That was her cue. Mustering all the enthusiasm she could, she ran out onto the stage, waving both hands to the crowd. Holy crap it was a struggle to move in the suit! Nevertheless, the crowd was no different from the customers back at Darumaya. Kyoko dug down deep inside and found that reserve as she did so long ago with her ankle. She would not rest until the customer was satisfied.

"There you are, Bo!" Hikaru admonished her. "How dare you keep the good folks waiting? Bad Chicken!"

Kyoko hung her head, feigning sadness and contriteness, as she moped about the stage. She heard the crowd give a collective, "Awww…"

Yuusei, one of the other band members, noticed that cue, "What's that? You're going to forgive him?"

Kyoko brightened as the crowd cheered and she gave them a little hopping dance in gratitude. She turned to the group as Hikaru addressed her, "You've heard them, Bo; you're forgiven. Now back to business. As I said before, we have a great show for you tonight. Bo and us are glad to announce that Mr. Ren Tsuruga will be our guest tonight! Yeah!" The guys waited for all the girls to quit screaming before Hikaru continued on, "Yep, he's going…" Kyoko stopped listening as surprise raced through her. Mr. Tsuruga. She hadn't seen him since the dead rose incident. To be honest, she was excited to see him again, and that shocked her.

"…without further ado, I give you Mr. Ren Tsuruga!" Shinichi was yelling into the mic as the crowd roared, breaking Kyoko out of her thoughts. She watched the familiar tall, dark and imposing figure glide out onto the stage. He was dressed somewhat casually in a slate blue button down shirt and black dress pants. He'd rolled the sleeves partway up his forearms and the top two buttons were undone at his neck. His inky black hair fell in artful disarray over piercing gray eyes. Kyoko watched him smile and wave to the crowd and she fought with an unknown feeling inside of her at the sight of Ren.

What was wrong with her? She mentally shook her head and submerged herself more into the character of Bo. She forced her energy into one large leap for joy at the star's appearance and clapped her wings together over her head. It was a hard clap; one that stung her hands even through the voluminous costume wings. She landed a bit awkwardly, but turned it into a comic roll for the crowd who laughed at the chicken's antics. Kyoko mentally urged her tired body to keep going. The show was only an hour long, she could do it! She had to!

"Mr. Tsuruga, how do you feel about the way _Dark Moon_ is progressing?" Yuusei asked seriously as the crowd quieted to listen.

"It's moving along smoothly. The crew is exceptional and we have some very talented up and coming cast members." Ren's voice was even and mellow.

"That certainly is true," Hikaru agreed, "How about set life? Any rumors or hot gossip you can share?" The host grinned.

Ren chuckled softly, "I'm afraid you're asking the wrong person. I try not to get involved."

"That is your trademark, it seems, detachment. Does anything _ever_ affect you?" Hikaru asked, but quickly glided past the inquiry. "So now that _Dark Moon_ is almost done, what now for the mighty Ren Tsuruga?" his voice held almost a snide tone which surprised Kyoko.

She'd been cavorting around the right side of the sage during the questions. She paused to inspect Mr. Tsuruga. His demeanor was polite, but to her his slightly narrowed eyes belied his irritation. Mr. Tsuruga didn't like the questions.

"I like to keep my options open. There are several…" Kyoko heard him respond, then she stopped paying attention to the canned response she'd heard a million times. Instead, she flapped her arms a little to try and generate some air in the costume. It was always so bloody hot in the thing, but tonight it seemed almost worse. She could smell the salty tang of sweat as she strutted around the stage.

"Okay so what about a significant other? Anyone special in your life, Mr. Tsuruga?"

Kyoko thought that Hikaru was being overly persistent on prying into Mr. Tsuruga's private life. After all, Bridge Rock and Mr. Tsuruga were from the same agency, they didn't have to be so cutthroat about it. She wandered over to the left side of the stage, sidling closer to the quartet where they chatted, perched on the chintzy sofa and chairs. She no longer listened to the questions as she struggled with the urge to take Bo's head off. It was so stuffy and hot in the costume that she was having trouble trying to catch her breath.

A piece of costume must have gotten in the way of her eyeholes because she was having trouble seeing through them. Kyoko tried to remember what the chicken was dressed up as that night, but nothing was coming to mind. Something dark because it rimmed the eyeholes. A tuxedo? A robe? No, it had to move. Impatiently she swiped at the offending fabric, but it wouldn't budge. "Damn it." She muttered.

"What was that, Bo?" Yuusei asked sharply, causing Kyoko to spin on her heel in surprise. She was even more shocked when the heavy costume overpowered her sense of balance and she went crashing to the floor.

The crowd burst with laughter as Kyoko struggled to get up. The exaggerated movements needed to gain momentum made the situation even more comical. Inside the suit, Kyoko was drenched with sweat. Now, because her body was wet, any draft that made it past the costume caused her to shiver violently.

"Here Bo, let me help you up." Hikaru supplied cheerfully. He bent over to grab her hand. "What the hell are you doing, you idiot?" He hissed under his breath. "Get the hell up and start doing your job!" His hearty pat on her back very nearly sent her sprawling all over again. What shocked her even more was the tone he was using with her. Kyoko was confused, the Bridge Rock crew was usually so friendly to her. What was she doing wrong? Had she screwed up in some way? Her job? What was that again?" She couldn't remember what she was supposed to do. The fabric surrounding the eyeholes had fallen even more in her way and causing what she could see to blur. She rubbed at both openings in a futile attempt to clear them. She took a few faltering steps forward before stopping to look around to get her bearings. When was commercial break, she was so thirsty!

* * *

Meanwhile, Ren had given up on paying attention to the obnoxious host. He had done nothing but attempt to pry into Ren's personal life. Any host worth his salt would know that was one area that they may not interview him.

He was further irritated when he'd heard the jerk yell at whoever was in the Bo costume. Ren had to fight the urge to defend the mascot due to their acquaintance or get the other two band mates to help him. It seemed like the kid was having a hard time of it anyway. Bo would wander around almost as if he was lost, stop, scrub at his eyes then stagger on even worse than before. This wasn't the normal actions for the mascot. Ren knew, because he watched the idiotic show whenever he could, just so he could see the chicken in motion. The other two members, Yuusei and Shinichi were slightly concerned, but wore masks of polite indifference and tried to keep the interview going.

But it was obvious to Ren and the crowd that Bo was not all right. The crowd had quieted down and some had even started calling out to the chicken to sit down. Ren continued to watch with concern while he answered absently to the three men.

Voices. All these voices in her head. They were yelling at her from every direction. Who was Bo? Why did they want to sit down? So thirsty…and tired. Sitting down did sound like a fabulous idea to Kyoko. Dimly, she looked around the wide space in front of her. There was a chair by the four men! That would be…the floor? Kyoko rolled over to her back. Why _not_ the floor?

Ren watched Bo raise one foot to take a step before crashing face first onto the stage. He didn't remember running over, suddenly he was just at the chicken's side. "Hold on, Bo." He murmured quietly, ignoring the clamoring of the crowd and flash of cameras.

"Mr. Tsuruga, what are you doing?" Hikaru was beside him now. Ren hadn't noticed his approach.

"This man needs help." Ren replied flatly, as he visually examined the costume. How did it come off? He had placed himself between Bo and the crowd to better shield the mascot. The three band mates were sweating and wiping their foreheads, their leader seemed to regroup and force a belligerent air.

"Nah, Bo's just acting, aintcha?" his confident tone turned uncertain when the mascot didn't answer. "What's going on?" Hikaru asked.

Ren looked up long enough to pin the offensive man with a glare. "This person needs help," he repeated, "and you're going to call Emergency Services, now." Once said, Ren put Bridge Rock out of his mind. He bent to inspect the costume once again. If the person had fainted, they'd need air. How did the thing come apart?

He gently felt around the neck of the costume until he found a couple catches, there! He undid them and carefully lifted the chicken head off to reveal the identity of the mascot that had bugged him for so long.

He felt his eyes go wide with shock; his arms lowered the costume head of their own accord as he stared at that face. His heartbeat in his throat as instant worry dried out his mouth. "K-Kyoko?" He stuttered brokenly. Bo the Chicken was Kyoko?

His utterance must have been louder than he'd thought. It had brought Yashiro pushing through the trio of silent musicians. The crowd was going absolutely nuts, event staff were having a hard time trying to keep them from swarming the stage.

"Ren! You yelled? What's—oh dear!" Yashiro knelt down opposite Ren beside the girl. "What happened?" He asked.

Ren was trying to get Kyoko to wake up, "Miss Mogami! Kyoko! Hey, can you hear me?" He was shaking her shoulder and patting her clammy cheek.

"Look at this! Our show's ratings are gonna be off the charts! Not so detached are you now, Ren?" Hikaru was smug. He ignored the pleas of Yuusei and Shinichi to cut it out and leave Ren alone.

Flooded by sudden anger at the host, Ren fought with the ridiculous costume until he freed Kyoko's slender frame from it. Wordlessly he scooped her into his arms and headed for the backstage area.

"Hey! What are you doing? The crowd demands to know what's going on with the girl!" Hikaru yelled.

"Hikaru, quit it! Why are you being such a dick to Kyoko!" Yuusei elbowed the leader in the ribs.

Without breaking stride, Ren addressed Yashiro, who was keeping pace with the actor. "Is the ambulance on its way?"

Yashiro was almost jogging to keep up with Ren, "Yes, should be here anytime. Ren, perhaps you shouldn't have moved Miss Kyoko before finding out what is wrong…"

Ren cut his manager off, "She doesn't deserve to be paraded out there for morbid curiosity and ratings," he bit out tersely, "not for that worthless jackal and his two henchmen." He carried her through the backstage towards the entryway lobby. He paid no heed to the stares, calls of concern, Yashiro's admonishments, or people that were following him. All he knew was that the EMT's would come through the main door.

Kyoko began to shake and thrash in his arms. Her head turned from side to side as she mumbled incoherently. Ren noticed that one cheek was dark with a fresh bruise and she had numerous scrapes on her chin and cheek. He fought the panic that tried to overwhelm him. What was going on with her?

"Kyoko?" He tried again to reach her as he laid her on a small bench in the lobby. Yashiro was right beside him and Ren didn't acknowledge the rest of the people. "Kyoko?" He ran a hand gently down one sweaty cheek.

She heard a voice calling her name in the darkness. She was alone and scared but for that one voice that beckoned to her. It was full of warmth and strength and she struggled toward its origin.

"Kyoko!"

'I'm here, I'm trying!' She thought and fought harder to reach that voice.

"Sir, the EMTs are here, "another voice, again familiar, penetrated the darkness.

There, she saw a haze of light, opening once, twice, a silhouetted figure leaned over her, blurry and indistinct. She knew this person and she smiled.

Ren saw her eyes flutter and slowly open. Anxiously, he leaned over her to call her name again. She fixed those cloudy eyes on his face and smiled dreamily. Weakly she raised and trailed her hand down his stunned cheek, "You came back…Corn." Her hand dropped to the couch as unconsciousness claimed her yet again.


End file.
